The Dragon Master
by Astera Aran
Summary: AU After his defeat at the hands of Rei and Lei in the 1st round, Takao has had enough and runs away. He returns several months later in a way that is quite unexpected. Very OOC and 1 OC. Also Yaoi or mentions of it. Complete!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I don't own it. Do I look like Aoki Takao to you? If I was, I would be the happy owner of Brooklyn and there would be a 4th season of beyblade w/h Yaoi b/t the characters. I only claim Akane as my own.

Summary - This idea came to me as an AU storyline after Rei & Lei beat Takao & Daichi in the first round of the tournament. In my version, Takao feels so hurt & betrayed by his friends that instead of continuing w/h the tournament, he quits & runs away. Now Takao will be **very **OOC. I changed the BEGA episodes so the timeline is the same as in G-Revolution. I didn't think he could just disappear for a year or two.

(Author's Note - This is just a rewrite of the story I had before w/h the same title. I was not happy w/h the former & changed my OC's parentage & past. Also this story will either contain Yaoi or mentions of it before it is finished so you have been warned.)

The Dragon Master  
by  
Astera Snape

**Prologue **

Takao couldn't believe it. Rei and Lei had beat him in a match. How the hell had that happened? He glared at Daichi but knew the younger boy was not at fault. Losing had been exclusively his fault because of his overconfidence and arrogance. Rei's words stung but he felt betrayed by his friends.

They had all left the Bladebreakers for their own teams and selfish reasons. Takao had considered them family after everything they had gone through together like brothers. He was closer to some of them than even Hitoshi. They were just like the rest of them however. They wanted to challenge him and take away his title. He grasp Dragoon tightly in his right hand as he ground his teeth together in frustration.

Hiromi was saying something behind him but he tuned her out. Kyoujyu was gasping in disbelief and Hitoshi put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Why should he care about any of them? Hitoshi had left several years before; only to return now. Where was he when he had needed his older brother? Where was his father and all the others that he loved? They had all betrayed, no, left him and nothing would ease the pain in his heart.

He pulled away from Hitoshi's grasp as he glared at Rei and Lei. The stadium was quiet as he stood there with his fist tightly clenched. He looked up in the stands for Max and his team. His eyes then turned to Kai, who had been the last to betray him and pushed him over the edge. The Dragon master had dealt with enough.

He threw his launcher into the bey dish in frustration but kept a tight grip on Dragoon, his only true friend. "Are you happy, Rei!" he snapped, his eyes wide with fury, "well are you? I hope that Max and Kai feel the same way as you to see me defeated and humilated!" The captain of the White Tigers did not say a word as Takao clenched his free hand painfully, drawing blood in his palm from his fingernails. "I HAVE HAD IT!" he stormed as most of the crowd gasp including the BBA officials and DJ Jazzman, "I QUIT!"

He stormed away from the bey dish as his team called for him to stop. _"They are not my team," _he thought as he ran down the hall, _"they were never my team. My team and friends are long gone." _He ran because he did not want anyone to see the tears flowing freely down his face. He had never been so embarrassed or humilated before. He could never face any of them again.

He entered the parking area only to see a limosine sitting in front of him. The motor was running and there was a girl standing beside the open back door. "I saw what happened, Takao," she said, softly and looked familiar, "they do not deserve to be your friends if they leave you for a mere title. I can help you if you wish. We can mold you into an unbeatable blader."

Takao gasp as he finally recoginized the features and face since it had been nearly ten years since he had saw her last. Her blonde hair framed her face with emerald green orbs peering at him with sympathy from beneath the long bangs. She hadn't changed much since the forced separation by their father and grandfather. "Akane," he whispered as his eyes went wide with shock and disbelief. "It's nice to see you again, little brother," she stated with a smile, "how have you been?"

"What are you doing here?" he ask, simply since he was still in shock. He heard voices coming from the tunnel and knew that he had to leave before the others found him. He couldn't face them in his current state. "I know what it feels like to be betrayed by those you love," she replied with a shrug, "I just thought that I could help you. If you come with me, we can help you on your path to greatness if you so desire it. We will make you a force to be reckoned with."

Takao couldn't face Hitoshi at the moment as the car looked inviting. Surely he could trust his older sister. When the voices grew louder, he decided his fate and jumped into the open door of the car. Akane followed as the car sped off before the door was even shut properly. Takao was so preoccupied looking out the window at the fading image of his team that he failed to notice the other occupant in the backseat.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Takao," the familiar voice stated as he looked into the eyes of the former director of Balkov Abbey, "with my new enterprise, you will be better than any of my former students. I saw the greatness in you the day you stumbled into the Abbey. You have great potential that has not been properly tapped." "Balkov," he hissed as he made a move for the door and freedom. It seemed that he had decided to return after disappearing after the World Championships, two years before. Takao would rather face humilation than what he had planned for him.

"I can help you become the greatest beyblader this world has ever known," Balkov offered, "isn't that what you want? To show your old teammates that you are the best of all of them? They left you because they desire your title. They are not true friends if they believe that a title is more important than the friendship you shared. If you come with us, you shall be unmatched and unbeatable by all."

"That is what Kai wanted," Takao spat, "it is not what I want. How can I trust you after what happened in Russia? You were responsible for manipulating Kai into stealing other people's bit beasts. You helped create Black Dranzer. You are bent on taking over the world."

"I have changed, Takao," Boris stated, "I have great plans for beyblading. There are many bladers that are unable to compete in the tournaments that the BBA runs. I wish to bring the sport to the greatness that it deserves. I am offering you a chance to accomplish your destiny, Takao. You will receive the training that you need and you shall never lose another match."

"You will not have to do anything that you do not agree with," Akane reassured, "I agreed to join Balkov-san 's new enterprise along with many others. Do you not wish to show your friends how foolish they were for leaving you? Do you not desire to prove them all wrong?" Takao had to think their offer over since it did have merit. His anger and rage was clouding his judgement and he briefly forgot that this man was once his enemy. It was opening up an entirely new way of thinking and if his sister trusted Balkov, then why shouldn't he?

_ "What do I do?" _he thought as he gripped his blade even tighter, _"they are both right and I can't deny the truth of their words." _As he argued with himself, Dragoon's bit chip lit up. The dragon wanted to speak to his master and offer his own advice. Takao, however, was not listening to his bit beast or his heart. For once in his life, he was thinking with his anger. He then made a decision that would change his life forever.

"I will go with you," he informed with a slight smirk, "and listen to what you have to offer. I trust my sister's judgement and she did not leave me by her own free will." "You are making the right decision, Takao," she replied with a smile, "when we are done with you, you won't even recoginize yourself." The car drove on and took Kinomiya Takao with it. What no one knew was that it would be several months before he was seen again and in a manner that would be most unexpected.

AS


	2. The Chaos that Followed

Disclaimer - As stated before if you recoginize anything, I don't own it or am I making any money off of this.

(Author's Note - I want to thank those who reviewed this story. I've been busy and just haven't been in the mood to write. I prefer to read all of the wonderful fiction that everyone else writes. To Blunightrunner, thank you for the advice and I did focus a bit on Akane in this chapter since it was necessary to explain her past. To kicking-serious-ass, I love the BEGA bladers especially Brooklyn! He's my favorite bishie! Also if anyone is OOC, I apologize. I'm finding it difficult to keep everyone in character. Now, I did have to alter Brooklyn's past a bit since he will not go insane in this story. Also, you might want to read the prologue again since I did change it a bit b/e of my OC.)

**Chapter One - The Chaos that Followed**

Several weeks later . . . .

Life was reluctantly forced to continue after Takao's disappearance. His brother and friends had searched desperately for the teen who had seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. The BBA had been frantic to find Takao after what happened at the tournament. It had left the spectators and competitors in shock to see the World Champion lose his cool in such a manner. His former teammates were furious and they had a good reason. The tournament and subsequent title meant nothing after Takao had left since they had went their separate ways to earn a battle against him.

The controversy marred the rest of the tournament as if they didn't have enough to contend with by the suscipious behavior of one of the teams. All the fans and the sports casters would talk about was Takao's disappearance; causing some of them to turn on his former teammates since they considered it their fault. There was a big black cloud hanging over the stop in Italy as the fans jeered three of the teams with the exception of BBA Revolution, Barthez Battalion and F-Dynasty. Hitoshi was having the hardest time of trying to keep the rest of his team together. Daichi boasted that they didn't need Takao but Hitoshi doubted that they would make the finals with only he and Kyoujyu blading.

The controversy intensified in Spain. Robert Jurgens and Johnny MacGregor of the Majestics confronted the Barthez Battalion about their cheating during the European preliminaries and was still doing so. BBA Revolution overheard the argument as the two European teens told them of their tricks in the locker room. Kyoujyu had found proof on his laptop that showed the European's claims were true. They were split over what to do with the evidence since if they told the chairman then it would forfeit the entire tournament and it was too late to start over. Max and Rick of the All-Starz agreed with Daichi and Hitoshi so it was decided that they would battle the team in the next round.

The only one that was nervous was Kyoujyu since he was essentially taking Takao's place. Well in the end, somehow BBA Revolution managed to pull a win against the Barthez Battalion in Spain. It wouldn't have happened if not for Kyoujyu and his new bit beast or should I say old that appeared in a flash of white light during his battle with Miguel. Dizzi who had been released from his laptop after the last tournament reappeared in Spain to help him defeat Miguel. Miguel had come to realize that maybe they were right and that cheating was wrong. They would follow the right path after this.

Well in the end, the championship ended up between F-Dynasty with their superior tag team skills that had earned the twins a place in the finals and the Blitzkrieg Boyz. Kai had proven himself to be quite the power house and between he and Yuriy, they won the tag team title easily with most of the other teams tied for third place. His victory had been hollow and left a bitter taste in his mouth. His match with Julia should have been against Takao instead. He was angry that the former world champion had ran away while Takao was mad that Kai had abandoned him. Maybe one day they would be able to settle their differences.

At that particular moment when Kai had won the trophey, Takao was in the middle of his training by doing sit ups in the gym. He had matured and grown since that fateful day in New York. His muscles had toned from the exercises he did and his beyblading training. He was starting to develop a nice set of abs and biceps. His navy hair was shorter and tamer but still pulled back into a ponytail.

He was one of the best bladers in the soon-to-be new organization that was destined to be called BEGA. There was no doubt that his ability had improved but the rest of his new teammates were good or even better than he was. Akane came in a distant fifth in the rankings after Garland, himself, Mystel, Ming Ming with Moses just a place behind her. He took a brief pause to look at his sister to see her on a match and sparring with Garland. The past few weeks he had spent with his older sister had been quite wonderful.

Even after nearly ten years apart, they had clicked almost instantly in the car. Unlike Hitoshi, he could tell her anything but especially the news that he had feelings for a former teammate. She had figured it out quite easily of why Kai's betrayal had hurt him more than the others. When Kai had deserted him without saying a word and left it to Hitoshi to break the news, it had broken his heart. Then Rei beating and humilating him had sent a blow that he was still reeling from.

He had never mentioned Akane to his friends. He had not wanted to discuss the fact that he had an older sister, who lived with their maternal grandfather. Even after all of this time, their separation still hurt. Akane had celebrated her sixteenth birthday only a few days before he had turned fifteen. There was barely a year's difference between the two of them. When their mother had died in a car accident when he had been three and she four, their father had been unable to cope and deal with the three of them in his grief.

He had left his family shortly after to travel and do research in the field. Grandpa Ryu had been unable to take care of two toddlers and one nine year old so that is where Ojiisan Masoe came in. He had offered to take Akane since she reminded him of the daughter he had lost. Neither their father or Grandpa Ryu had objected to the arrangement. It hadn't been that bad at first. She had visited quite often but as they grew older it all begun to change.

The older she got, the more she reminded them of their mother. She wasn't the living breathing image of her but it was enough to make their father relive her loss every time he saw her. She often went back to Kyoto feeling like she had done something to cause his grief and suffering. It had been difficult for a young child to understand but eventually she had stopped visiting and her only ways of contact were through letters, e-mail or the occasional phone call. Takao had suffered the most since they had been close before their mother's death and it was like he had lost his sister that day as well.

It was not a surprise to discover that she had turned to beyblading as well. It seemed that the sport was programmed into their genes. She had confided in him that she had turned to the sport because it was the only way she still felt connected to her brothers. Hitoshi had been the first to beyblade and he in turn had introduced Akane to the sport during one of her visits. She in turn had given Takao his first beyblade after she had gotten a new one. Even though it couldn't be used in any of his battles now, he had kept it as a memento of what he had lost.

She had been the force that had influenced him to join Balkov's new venture aptly named BEGA or the Beyblade Entertainment Global Association. He might not have been after world domination like before but he was wanting the money and power that controlling the sport could give. That is where all of them came in. He had recruited other teens before Takao had joined. They all had been handpicked and chosen by him especially for his new venture.

Takao did have to admit that the BBA couldn't compare to what their new facility had to offer and soon he would be able to make a lot of money off of his chosen sport. He did have to admit that his skill had improved since he had joined and knew that his new training schedule had a lot to do with it as well. He had never been so focused before and knew exactly what he wanted to accomplish in the future. It was only a matter of time before he did but still his 'friends' plagued his thoughts. They were a distraction that needed to be forgotten especially the two-tone traitor that he had cared for. It was difficult being a hormonal teen-ager especially a gay one that was attracted to a _bishounen_ Russian blader.

Fortunately, Garland finished his sparring match with Akane and turned on the television to break him out of his sullen mood. He flipped the channels until it landed on the sports channel to check on his siblings who were all sport celebrities. He was the sixth Tzebult sibling and all of them were experts in their chosen sport. His three older brothers either raced Indy cars, played professional baseball or soccer. His two older sisters played tennis and golfed professionally.

He wondered why he had cut his sparring match with Akane short but one look at his sister told him what happened. She was wrapping her ankle tightly with gauze; signifying that she had probably twisted it again. It had happened only a few days before but he thought it had healed since she had been walking on it normally. The sports news wasn't on but instead the TV came on at the end of the world championship tournament where the Blitzkrieg Boyz were celebrating their victory. Well, the other teams were celebrating while they stood away from the others with sulky looks on their faces.

This caught Takao's attention as he rose from the floor and joined the other three teens in front of the television. Garland was watching the news cast with his arms crossed while Moses towered behind him. Akane was standing gingerly on her ankle as he joined her side. His fist clenched from the memories that were resurfacing because of the faces in the crowd of beybladers. Even though the others had lost they seemed to be trying to snap the Blitzkrieg Boyz out of their sour moods.

"The world champions don't seem too happy that they won," Akane mused, "do you think it has something to do with what happened during the first round?" The three teens took a moment to look at Takao since they all ready knew the answer and he was smirking. "They left the team so they could battle against me," Takao remarked with a devilish smirk, "I am the former world champion and knowing Kai that trophy means nothing to him without battling me for it. He probably feels that he didn't earn it. I was the one about to set a record after all."

"Akane," a voice called as their attention turned from the television to Boris, who was standing in the doorway of their private gym. They saw his look of disgust as he looked at the television and the camera that was focused on the Blitzkrieg Boyz. "I see the tournament is over," he remarked, "It will be the last one that the BBA will host. I seriously doubt that any of those bladers will be joining with us." "Maybe they will give you a second chance, sir," Garland spoke up, "whatever you did is in the past and you have changed. Besides, they won't be able to participate in tournaments if they are not a member of BEGA."

"That will happen when pigs fly," Takao snorted as their attention turned to him. "I believe Takao's sentiments will be shared by the majority of the current world class bladers," Boris admitted with a thin smile, "especially when it concerns the Blitzkrieg Boyz." "And the others will follow Kai's lead like good little bladers," Takao continued with a smirk, "I doubt even I will be able to change any of their minds when they are set on something." "What did you want, sir?" Akane ask, respectfully as she bowed before him, "you were calling for me before. Was it something important?"

"Have you seen Brooklyn?" he ask as they shook their heads no but all knew where he could be found, "I need to speak with him. Can you find him for me?" "Not a problem, sir," she replied, "I'll be back shortly." She left to visit the park near the building that he constantly frequented. Boris had sent her since she was the only one who could talk the teen into anything since she had known him longer than the others.

She had known him since they were both nine and had met him after challenging him to a beybattle in the park. Over the years, her feelings had changed and she harbored quite a crush on the other teen. It had been quite amusing over the last few weeks to watch his older sister flirt with the boy and he would only smirk at her efforts. Takao found Brooklyn to be somewhat of an engima. He couldn't quite figure the ginger-haired blader out and it had been several weeks since their introduction at his sister's hands.

Brooklyn was quiet and reserved in manner which reminded him of Kai but his disposition was baffling. When outside the bey stadium, he was the kindest, most gentle person that one could ever meet. Inside the dish was an entirely different matter. He was cold, ruthless and arrogant. Sometimes it was like he was two completely different people. Garland had been the first to warn him about the teen. He simply said "stay away from Brooklyn" and don't challenge him to a beybattle.

Of course, he had been too pigheaded to listen especially when Akane and Garland discussed how he was a natural born blader and didn't have to practice to keep up his skill. He had been born with the talent and Takao had foolishly spouted off about his own skill and title upon entering the complex. Let's just say that he had learned his lesson the hard way. He thought Brooklyn to be hot air and overrated at first. He would launch his blade at the beginning of a match and it would just sit in the place it landed in the middle of the dish.

He would just dodge and let his blade be the last one left spinning without a single attack. When he had foolishly went on the offensive, he had brought about his own downfall since Brooklyn had the ability to mimic any of his opponents' attacks. Dragoon hadn't fared too well from being hit with one of his own special attacks. Before he even knew what happened, he had been thrown backwards from the platform into Akane and Garland's arms. His beyblade had been smashed into pieces with only the bit chip surviving intact after their first and only battle.

The battle had nearly cost him Dragoon and his injuries had been enough not to desire a rematch. Takao had looked at the teen differently afterward and would not make the mistake of challenging Brooklyn to a battle again. He felt sorry for anyone who went up against him in the future since he knew what it felt like to be put through the ringer by him. The memory of that battle was still etched vividly in his memory and made him shiver to this very day. When he had looked into the glowing eyes of Zeus as he stood behind his avatar in the inky darkness, he swore he had saw his death.

None of the others would challenge the ginger-haired teen because they had tried and lost. Garland, who was ranked first, had even been beaten by him. He said the most he had gotten out of Brooklyn was "Nice warmup, Garland." Because of his skill and power, Brooklyn was allowed to wander off and do whatever he wanted. The funny thing was that Balkov allowed him to get by with it. Takao figured that if he had been the same man that had run the Abbey, he wouldn't have allowed it.

"Has anyone seen Mystel?" Boris inquired as they waited for the other two to return. The blond Egyptian was prone to take off whenever he felt like it and just disappear. Takao had to hide a grin since that behavior reminded him of his old Russian teammate too. Kai had been particularly good at it but Mystel didn't have his demeanor or attitude. He had a bubbly personality and made friends with everyone he encountered because of his charm. He was quite the character and his lighthearted personality could always put you in a good mood.

Mystel was another really strong blader that Balkov had found. Takao often wondered where all of these talented bladers had been hiding. Mystel had an unique launching technique that made him a force to be reckoned with in the dish if you could withstand it. Takao remembered his first battle with him vividly. His slingshot had almost knocked Dragoon out of the dish at the beginning of the match but he had regained control and won. If you excluded himself, he had only beaten three of the top six bladers since he had tied with Garland in their match with both of their blades exiting at the same time.

Akane would not battle him and would always refuse a request citing their relationship but he felt there was more to it than that. He just couldn't figure out what it was. They must have watched more of the celebration than Takao realized since Akane had returned with Brooklyn following behind. His hair was toused and he yawned quite loudly to everyone's chagrin. "You wanted to see me, sir," he remarked in that sleepy but arrogant tone of his. "Yes, I did, Brooklyn," Boris replied with a thin smile, "Akane will you join us? What I wish to discuss involves you as well."

Akane nodded with a smile and followed the two out of the room. "Her crush is so obvious," Moses remarked with a chuckle, "is Brooklyn even aware of it?" Takao turned to Garland to hear his thoughts on the matter. Out of the other teen boys, he was the only one that Brooklyn would talk too in a private way since they were roommates. "He thinks it is cute," Garland remarked as the news that he had been searching for came on, "that is all I could get out of him when I ask. He can be frustrating when he ignores you in favor of his birds and butterflies."

Takao coughed to cover up his laughter since he had been dissed in the same manner by Brooklyn. If it had been anyone else, he would have lost his cool and shouted in their face. Brooklyn was unique and he would give you one of those superior smirks that would leave you speechless and thinking what the hell just happened? He had that effect on everyone except Akane who would just sigh dreamily and doze off into a daydream. Her infatuation was beginning to become quite an obsession in most of their opinions and if he didn't respond to her flirtations soon; she was liable to get desperate and kiss the boy senseless. She couldn't wait forever or was she was the type too.

Takao burst into laughter by that image since he could just imagine the look on Brooklyn's face if she got that desperate. The other two teens looked at him with shock since they thought he was losing his mind. "Takao, are you all right?" Moses ask since Garland wasn't going to approach the hysterical teen, who was now rolling about the floor from the image in his head. "I'll.be.fine." he managed to ground out before the laughter returned anew, "I was just thinking about something really funny." The two looked at him with confusion for a few moments as Garland raised an eyebrow. "If all the BBA bladers are like him," Moses mused over Takao's laughter, "we are in trouble." Garland smirked slightly at the scene and turned his purple irises back to the television; he would ponder Takao's problem later.

AS


	3. Changing of Leagues

Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, I don't own it. Understand?

(A/N - I need to add that in this chapter, Kai will act a bit like Takao. He will be somewhat OOC. I couldn't figure out how else to bring him into the story & I needed him for the opening of BEGA. None of the others would work in that scene so I had to bring him in earlier.)

I would like to thank Minako Mikoto, Cat & Golden-Phoenix-Ra for reviewing. Thanks ever so much! Golden-Phoenix-Ra, you will see the others' reactions to Takao's situation in the next chapter.

**Chapter Two - Changing of Leagues**

A week after they had watched the crowning of the Blitzkrieg Boyz as the new world champions, Boris Balkov returned to the BEGA building in a very good mood. He had officially taken over the league by bribing and buying out the board of directors. Mr. Dickerson had been fired and the BBA was fixing to undergo a major renovation. Takao couldn't wait until the new league was up and running. The beybattles would be even more intense than what he had experienced in the past.

It was kind of amusing to watch the news since there was a lot of speculation about what was going to happen. Ming Ming was benefitting from Balkov's new venture. She was being heavily promoted to the public in preparation for the unveiling. She was going to be the mascot of the BEGA organization. Personally, Takao couldn't stand the little prep but tolerated and respected her since she was a very good blader. He believed that his sister didn't care for her in any other manner as well.

The days past as Takao trained and waited for the opening. He was curious to see if any of his old friends would show up at the press conference. He was fairly certain that some of them would appear especially the Blitzkrieg Boyz when they discovered Boris' involvement. They wouldn't let an old grudge go so easily. It was just a matter of time before he was found.

It wasn't like he had disappeared completely off the face of the earth. He had called Grandpa and reassured him that he was fine. Grandpa didn't seem to mind when he heard that Akane was with him. He trusted his judgement and after all he was fifteen. He wasn't a child anymore and if Akane was involved then it had to be okay. The older Kinomiya had promised that he wouldn't tell anyone including Hitoshi of his whereabouts but to just say that he was all right. He wasn't ready to deal with them until it was absolutely necessary.

That was probably the longest week that he had ever had to live through. The facility was up and running and awaiting the new recruits that would soon be flooding in. The only difference was of who would stay and train. Most members of BEGA would just hold a card that would entitle them to certain benefits. Boris had handpicked everyone that trained within the facility. Only the strongest could stay and benefit from the league. The others would have to earn their place within these walls.

Finally the day arrived. He, Akane, Garland and Brooklyn watched the opening from a private lounge. There was a big flat screen television on the wall as their eyes turned toward it. Like he thought, he saw Daichi, Max, Kyoujyu and Hiromi in the crowd that had gathered outside. What surprised him even more was when he saw the twin tails of Kai's scarf. He joined the other four at the front of the crowd of people.

"That is surprising," Takao murmured as he pointed out Kai's appearance, "I didn't think he would arrive so soon." "He must be really curious about the league," Akane added, "or he has been keeping in touch with Max or possibly Kyoujyu. They use to be his teammates too." "It's just unlike him," Takao remarked as the scene outside got even more heated after Hiromi had insulted Ming Ming for her performance. "Someone is jealous of our pop diva," Akane teased with a laugh. "Now that was stupid," Garland added as he closed his eyes and sighed, "Ming Ming isn't what she appears to be."

"How well we know?" his three companions said at the same time, earning even a chuckle from Garland himself. _"Now here is where it gets interesting," _Takao thought as his eyes were glued to the screen. Of course, Max took up for Hiromi while Daichi challenged her to a beybattle. If they thought they were going to get a shot at BEGA's number 4 ranked blader so soon; they were quite mistaken. In order to earn a battle against Ming Ming, you had to beat the members of her band first.

The three of them were ranked within the top hundred of the BEGA league so it would be interesting to see how his former friends fared against them. Since it was going to be a three-on-three battle, Max and Daichi needed a partner. Kyoujyu was clueless and obviously drooling over Ming Ming since all he could do was stare at her. Kai appeared to mumble that this was a complete waste of his time but he pulled out his launcher and Dranzer anyway. He was loyal to his friends when it was needed.

Ming Ming's band launched their blades as did the two former Bladebreakers and BBA Revolution member. The BEGA blades responded to the beats of their music. Takao wasn't surprised to see his friends figure out their strategy and only moments later wipe the floor with them. Ming Ming then turned back into her innocent alter ego and Boris appeared. The expressions on their faces were classic as Kai glared at his former teacher. Max and Kyoujyu's expressions were guarded but Hiromi and Daichi were clueless since they had not been a member of the team during their first world tournament.

After a few heated words were exchanged between them, Boris offered a tour of the building to show that BEGA was a legitimate organinzation. It was obvious that he was going to try and recruit them. A few minutes passed as they watched a security guard drag Hiromi across the stage. Takao knew that she had been denied entry because she was not a blader. The building wasn't open to the public until the following week.

"We're going to go and take a look at the BBA bladers," Akane stated, snapping Takao out of his thoughts, "want to join us?" "I don't think so," he replied, "I'm not in the mood for a confrontation just yet." "They are not going to see us," Akane added, "we are going to watch from the balcony overlooking the gym. Boris will definitely take them there." He sat back on the couch and thought about his former friends. If he knew Kai and Max, one of them might insult Boris which would likely result in a beybattle with a blader in the building.

Akane, Garland and Brooklyn left, leaving Takao alone. He mulled over her suggestion for a few minutes before grabbing his sunglasses from his pocket, putting them on and sprinting toward the gym. Fortunately, he knew the complex well and didn't even have to risk being seen by the others. He made it to the gym in time to hear Boris' passionate speech about creating BEGA for the sake of the children. As he thought, Kai didn't buy it. He had ask if all that was true, then why had he fired the previous director, Mr. Dickerson.

Takao did have to give Kai credit since he would have probably reacted in the same way under the circumstances but Mr. Dickerson's release had been necessary. Boris had to revamp the company and reorganize the staff. He was suppose to hire him back as a honorary consultant but Takao doubted that would happen with the past they shared. Kai threw more insults at Boris in both English and Russian. Garland raised an eyebrow as Takao glanced toward the spot he was looking. Moses was down on the floor lifting weights and he looked angry that Kai was insulting his boss. "He's in for it now," Akane mused as Moses dropped the weights he had been holding and engaged Kai.

Moses was trying to make Kai apologize to Boris. Kai of course refused to apologize so Moses challenged him to a beybattle to settle their dispute. Kai, now the current world champion, could not refuse a challenge as his eyes glinted strangely. If Kai thought that Moses was one of Boris' lackeys like he had been; he was quite mistaken. He had taken up blading to earn money to pay for an operation that his little sister needed. He couldn't earn that type of cash from an ordinary job so Boris had found and helped him out. He had taught him how to beyblade and he had become world class in a very short amount of time.

Boris had the staff set up a dish for their exhibition match. He briefly looked up to where they were standing on the balcony. His look made Takao nervous as he backed away so he wouldn't be seen by the others. His former friends had their backs turned to them as their attention turned to the middle of the room where the beydish was. The vid screen was on so Takao could still watch the match from his position further back. "This ought to be a good match," Garland remarked, "we get to see the world champion blade in person."

It was something to just watch Moses assemble his launcher. Takao had foolishly tried to lift it once but had only succeeded in straining his back since it weighed more than he actually did. Kai's mask fell for a brief instant as his eyes narrowed. Takao knew that look since he was wondering what type of power Moses was packing for him to use such a powerful launcher. "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" they yelled together as the blades were launched into the dish. This battle would give Takao the opportunity to see how much Kai had improved since their last match.

Moses' blade was spinning slower than Kai's Dranzer as Kyoujyu had his laptop camera out to analyze his opponent's capabilities. Kai was known for his straightforward power attacks and ordered Dranzer to slam Moses' blade. The gasp that escaped from his lips after watching his blade hit the other and sending it skyward made Takao smile. Gigars had easily repelled Dranzer with its superior spinning force. Moses' blade may have looked weak from the start but as many say 'looks can be very deceiving'.

"He's light on his feet," Garland remarked as they watched the flat screen, "has impressive evasion skills and incredible attack strength. No wonder he won the tournament and is the new champion. What do you think, Brooklyn?" Brooklyn was leaning on the railing and had his sea foam green eyes locked on the beyblades in the dish. "He's good," he remarked after a moment of silence, "but he will have to blade better than he is now to beat Moses."

Takao smiled since he knew that Kai wouldn't take that criticism lightly. Kai's skill had improved but Takao still believed that he could beat him. It always seemed like it came down to the two of them and he always won. It was like fate had deemed it to be that way on purpose. "Moses is fixing to go on the attack," Akane remarked, snapping him out of his thoughts of another battle against Kai, "let's see how the champion handles the true power of Gigars."

From their place on the balcony they could hear the gasps of the bladers below as Gigars chewed through the concrete pillars of the beydish as though they were tissue paper. Moses' beyblade may have less speed but it did possess more power than first thought. Even Kai seemed surprised as he ask Moses why he would join a venture that was run by someone with such a shady past as Boris. He went through a heartfelt speech about his little sister, Monica, who needed an operation that his family could not afford. Boris had helped him out and taught him how to beyblade so he could earn money to pay for what she needed.

That was why he wanted to be a professional blader and earn money from it. When you battled him, it made you feel like you were standing off against an armored tank. Moses now had Dranzer at his mercy as Kai looked between Moses and Boris. He appeared to be thinking over what his former instructor had said and considered the fact that maybe there was some truth to it. From all appearances, it looked as though Moses was going to win since Kai was a bit distracted and growling beneath his breathe as he fought his conscience.

Brooklyn stood up suddenly and started to walk away. "Where are you going, Brooklyn?" Garland called, "the battle isn't over." "Kai is going to win," he said with a secretive smile. "Is that so?" Garland smirked. "Trust me this match is all ready over," Brooklyn replied with a wave before he went out the door to the garden.

Garland seemed frustrated at the ginger-haired boy but Takao and Akane only exchanged a smile. A battle yell from Kai and a surprise gasp from Moses turned their attention back to the match. Kai was now fighting back and winning. "You've got to be kidding me," Garland remarked, "Kai is making a comeback. How?"

The three of them forgot about Brooklyn's departure and watched as Kai regained control of Dranzer and using a power slam sent Gigars flying out of the dish. Moses was upset that he had lost. Kai held out his hand as Dranzer flew into it and turned back to his friends. From what Takao could tell, Kai was going to have to replace his attack ring since Gigars had shredded it. Boris applauded Kai's win and complimented him on his performance.

Moses was on his knees as Garland and Akane were shocked that he had managed to win. Takao wasn't since he had saw Kai's victory as easily as Brooklyn. _"Not bad," _he thought as Kai turned his attention to Boris, _"I am almost ready to challenge you again."_ Kai refused to say if he would or would not join BEGA but gave a chilly warning that he would be watching. From the expressions on the other three bladers' faces, Takao thought that perhaps he had been wrong. If Kai didn't join, then maybe the others would. It seemed possible at that moment but a mere moment later would change everything.

Kai stalked off with his scarf trailing behind him but Max shook Boris' hand as Garland smiled. "Maybe we were wrong," Akane admitted, "Kai might join after all. I mean he didn't really say which choice he would make. All he said was that he would be watching." "Indeed, Akane," Garland added with a smile and the two failed to notice that Takao had done a disappearing act like Brooklyn.

Takao had walked away with a need to clear his head. Seeing his former teammates in the flesh only brought back the feelings and emotions again. He walked outside into the small garden to see Brooklyn laying in the grass with a bird perched on his finger. He tried to sneak away but it seemed that luck was never on his side. "You are not disturbing me, Takao," Brooklyn remarked as he gasp, "you seem a little distracted. Does it have something to do with the exhibition match?"

How did the ginger-haired teen even know it was him? It could have been anyone but he had the uncanny ability of being able to tell who it was without even seeing them. Takao had a need to confide in someone and he felt like he could trust Brooklyn more than any of the other boys. He wouldn't spread a rumor since he didn't talk to the other bladers that much. "Seeing my old friends brought back some unpleasant memories," he admitted as he took a seat next to the ginger-haired boy as the bird pecked his lips in a kiss and then flew off. Watching Brooklyn's ability with animals was like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. It was quite breathtaking.

"Your eyes betray you," Brooklyn remarked as his eyes turned toward the bluenette, "I can see you have feelings for the new world champion. How long have you harbored such feelings for Kai?" Takao hadn't expected him to be so straightforward. "How do you know?" he ask as he stuttered. "Anyone perceptive enough can see it," he admitted as his eyes turned back to the sky, "all one has to do is look. I am not blind to these matters like many of the others."

"Well if you are so perceptive," Takao smirked, "then why don't you see the feelings that my sister has for you? Theyare right under your nose after all." Soft laughter followed that question as he turned back to Takao. "I have known of Akane's attraction since we met," he added with a grin, "and I have all ready seen our future together. I don't have to do anything to make it happen since our coupling was decided in the stars before either of us was born. I knew she was destined to be my soulmate when we first met but you have to become friends before you can become lovers."

Takao now understood how everyone else felt about Brooklyn. His cryptic words were alluring and frustrating at the same time. "How do you know everything?" Takao fumed, wanting a straight answer. "I was destined to know," the ginger-haired boy remarked with a shrug, "that is my destiny as it is yours to face off against Kai in one final battle. Your spat will not heal until the two of you admit your feelings for the other."

Takao gulped and sweatdropped since that had took him by surprise. "Who else knows?" he ask with curiosity. "The others don't notice the little things," he added with a superior smile, "like I do. They are always in a hurry to practice or do whatever else that they don't take the time to appreciate the little things like I do." "Well, if we were all naturals," Takao remarked, "like you; then we wouldn't have to practice. A word of advice from a former champion; when you want to learn the true meaning of our sport, come to me and I will teach it to you. I think there are a few matters that I am an expert in, even over you."

Takao patted Brooklyn on the shoulder as he blinked in confusion. He obviously did not understand the meaning behind his advice. Takao shot him a smile before he wandered off; humming to himself. Their conversation put him in a better mood and he knew that if Brooklyn had seen a vision of another battle between he and Kai, then it was destined to happen. Now all he had to do was prepare for it and show all of his former teammates who was the best out of them all.

AS


	4. A Challenge Made

Disclaimer - As stated before, it you recoginize it, then I don't own it. Only Akane is mine.

A/N - I have a bad habit of mixing the English names w/h the Japanese ones. I don't want to confuse anyone since I am use to Boris Balkov as the villian and Bryan as the Blitzkrieg Boy.

I would really like to thank **Kicking-S-ass**, **Minako Mikoto**, **shadowwolfcat** & **horsegirl** for reviewing. Yes, it is hinting toward TyKa (winks). I hope this chapter lives up to all of your expectations. I rewrote it 3 times before I was satisfied w/h it. The next chapter is giving me a bit of trouble but I should have it finished within a week if my writer's block lifts.

**Chapter Three - A Challenge Made**

Takao's intuition was soon proven right. A few days after Boris had been unmasked as the mastermind behind BEGA, the Blitzkrieg Boyz arrived back in town and they were on a mission. They were determined to bring Boris down no matter what the cost. They had met briefly with Max, Hiromi, Kyoujyu and Daichi in the park. The four had been looking for Hitoshi or Kai, who had both disappeared after the unveiling of the new beyblade organization.

On that particular day, Brooklyn had disappeared like usual; leaving the other four to practice. Mystel had went off on a mission for Boris a few days before and Ming Ming was out promoting the BEGA league and her new album. It left Takao, Akane, Garland and Moses to beybattle against each other. He had paired off with Moses while Akane had partnered with Garland. He easily beat Moses who was still reflecting on his loss to Kai but Akane and Garland had managed to tie once again.

Akane would definitely go up in the rankings if she won more but everytime that Takao watched her battle, it was like she was holding back. He often wondered if BEGA had two secret weapons within its ranks instead of just one. Akane and Garland were called to Boris' office, leaving Takao to find something to do on his own. It was boring to hang around the building all by himself but where could he go that he wouldn't be recoginized by anyone? He decided to take a chance and went back to his room to change his clothes before he went out.

Akane had deemed a new look was in order for him after they had met in New York; claiming that his former attire had made him look childish. He needed to dress the part of a pro blader and not look like a scrawny kid. She had suggested that he would look good in the colour black. He thought the colour dark and depressing but surprisingly he did look good in it. He had exchanged his blue pants for a pair of black cargo pants that were loose. Akane had also insisted on a black t-shirt with the words 'Born to Blade' written in silver across the chest.

A pair of boots and a long black coat (think Matrix) topped off the outfit. Everyone had complimented his new style and said it suited him much better; even Boris said that it was an improvement over what he had looked like before. She had tried to talk him into getting an earring but Takao wouldn't have it or would grandpa approve when he saw it. She then suggested a navel piercing but he refused that torture as well. Brooklyn had told him how Akane had shrieked after having hers pierced.

Takao decided that he was going out but his plan was postponed when he reached the lobby. He stepped back into the hallway he had been walking down when he saw a mane of familiar red hair and heard a shout of "BORIS!" He recoginized the voice since it belonged to Yuriy. Bryan and Sergei were walking on either side of him. They tried to get past security but there was too many guards. Fortunately, Boris appeared on the upper level and looked down at them. Takao watched the exchange from a dark corner in the hallway he had taken refuge in.

"That is enough!" he ordered as security backed off. From his point of view, Takao saw that both Garland and Akane were with him. Garland was doing a Kai by standing back with his arms crossed against his chest and his eyes closed in a calm manner. Akane on the other side was looking down at the trio with curiosity. "Welcome Yuriy," Boris greeted with a smile on his face, "Bryan and Sergei too. It's been a long time since we have seen each other and I knew that it was only a matter of time before you came to see me. I'm flattered that you stopped by for a visit."

"We know that you are running a new scam, Boris," Yuriy stated, "and we have come to put a stop to it." "Are you refering to my new pro league?" Boris questioned, " I'd be happy if your team joined. I extend the offer that I gave Kai to you as well if you are interested. Your addition will only make my BEGA league stronger." "Forget it!" Bryan shouted with hatred.

"There isn't going to be a BEGA league much longer," Yuriy informed with a snarl, "we are not going to give you the opportunity to corrupt anymore beybladers." "Do they look corrupted to you?" Boris ask, motioning to Akane and Garland. "As long as you are involved," Yuriy continued, ignoring the teens, "nothing about this league can be trusted. There is an ulterior motive behind everything you do." "Can you not accept that I have changed?" Boris questioned, "I have turned over a new leaf and am helping beyblade get the recoginition and greatness that it deserves among the various sports."

"That is not going to work, Boris," Sergei added, "evil doesn't change; it just puts on a new face." "Bring us the strongest and most skilled beybladers that you have," Yuriy demanded, "and we will show you that we mean business." "Or maybe you don't want us to interrupt their ballet lessons," Bryan added with a smirk. Takao could hear Garland's chuckle from where he was standing. There was nothing wrong with practicing ballet to improve your beyblading skill. It was a good way of learning disclipse, flexibility and grace.

Boris agreed to their request as he, Akane and Garland walked away from the glass. Takao shrank back into the hallway and his face paled. He hoped that Boris wouldn't ask him to battle yet but he had a bad feeling that the Blitzkrieg Boyz were in for a beating. He watched as security escorted the Russians to a training room. Takao smiled as he ran in the opposite direction. He could watch the match from the balcony with Boris and the others without being seen. This was good.

Boris had selected three bladers for the battle and Takao had to hide a snort. They were not the strongest that BEGA had to offer. They were in the top 100 but nothing impressive when it came to power and skill. It seemed that Boris didn't want to give them a battle against one of the top ranked players yet. This was going to be interesting.

Takao watched from the back as Garland and Akane stayed by Boris' side. It was a three-on-three battle and as he figured, the Blitzkrieg Boyz were a lot stronger than the three BEGA bladers. If Boris had wanted to teach them a lesson, he should have sent Akane or Garland down to battle. Their training squad was virtually helpless against the Blitzkrieg Boyz. One blade was swallowed whole by Seaborg's Stramolyu, the second was shattered by Falborg's Strobilitz attack and the third was frozen solid by Novae Rogue.

Pieces of ice were sprayed even up to the balcony from Yuriy's attack. "I knew they would easily beat my training squad," Boris remarked when it was over, "but I underestimated their skill. I did a better job of training them than I remember." "We have been anticipating the day that we brought you down for good, Boris," Yuriy stated, "we have built up our strength and skill for this very moment. Even the World Championship tournament was merely a warm-up for this confrontation."

"Man, do they have it out for you," Garland observed with a raised eyebrow, "what did you do to them anyway?" "That is none of your concern," Boris reminded, "what is in the past is in the past. I have changed and that is all that matters." "Yeah, you are right," Garland added, "I guess it is none of my business what kind of person you were before. All that matters is who you are now." "But that won't stop the Blitzkrieg Boyz from destroying the BEGA league," Boris stated.

"We shall see," Garland muttered as he jumped over the ledge and gracefully landed on the floor below. Takao muttered the word, "Show off," that went unheard by those present. Akane was going to follow his lead but Boris put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back. Garland was strong enough to take on the three of them without her or his help. Takao wanted to battle a Russian but it wasn't any of the three below. There was only one worthy enough of his attention.

"Are you boys ready for a real challenge?" Garland ask as he walked to the beydish. "Why? Are you our next challenge?" Bryan ask. "It is more than that," Boris replied, "if you can defeat Garland, I will do as you wish and dissolve the BEGA league." Takao was as stunned by his offer as the Blitzkrieg Boyz were. They had better not underestimate Garland or they would live to regret it.

The flip side to the coin was that if Garland beat the three of them, they would join BEGA. Of course they refused and would rather retire from beyblading than work for him again. Both Akane and Garland were stunned by that revelation. Who in their right mind would rather retire than participate in the extreme beybattles that Boris had promised them? Takao had to smile since he knew Boris' past unlike the others. He didn't blame Yuriy, Bryan and Sergei for their reluctance.

Yuriy was just going to leave but Bryan and Sergei were hesitate. "Wait," Garland called, "you have been kind enough to demonstrate your skill for me. How about I return the favor with a match against the two of you?" He had pointed to Bryan and Sergei. He even dared to take them both on at the same time.

That enraged the two Russians as Yuriy tried to stop them but with no luck. When their minds were set on something there was no reasoning with them. Bryan was the first to challenge Garland as he put his blade in his launcher. Garland had his own unique launcher that gave his blade more power since it tapped into his martial arts skill to help strengthen it. (A/N - I have no idea what you would call it.) They launched and the two blades hit in mid-air over the dish. Bryan's Falborg didn't stand a chance against Garland's Apollon as it was thrown back and hit off the side.

Garland's blade just dropped as though it had been hit by a piece of mere tissue paper. Sergei knew that his teammate was in trouble as he launched Seaborg to help. They were powerful but not strong enough to take down Garland, who was the number one ranked blader of the BEGA league. Takao should have been upset that the spot wasn't his but he was actually quite cool about it. He hadn't battled as many of the competitors in the building as Garland had.

At the moment, Sergei and Bryan were about to combine an attack, the door opened to admit Max, Kyoujyu, Daichi and Hillary. Right behind them was Kai. Takao paled even more and darted to the back of the balcony. He definitely didn't want to be seen by them. "Stramolyu!" Sergei called. "Stroblitz!" Bryan ordered and Garland didn't even break a sweat.

"Watch closely," Garland stated, calmly as he began to glow red, "and witness true power. Radiant Thunder!" There was a bright light and Takao was thankful for his sunglasses. When it faded, Bryan and Sergei had been thrown back from the beydish and their blades were practically melted by the one attack while Garland's Apollon was spinning perfectly in place. "How?" he heard Yuriy ask, "where did you get such power?"

Garland then challenged Yuriy to a battle and he was forced to accept for the honor of his injuried teammates. Several of their medics attended the two teens and took them to the infirmary. Garland stood there with his arms crossed but Boris had other plans and ask that the match be moved to the stadium that sat above the building. Some people would pay a great deal of money to watch a match of this quality as Ming Ming went on the air and fans began to flock to BEGA headquarters. Takao could hear the crowd filling the stands from where he now sat in the comfort of one of the locker rooms to watch the match.

He actually felt sorry for Yuriy since he was fairly certain of what would happen. Garland was going to be merciliess in this battle and he would wind up injuried if he was not careful. He had seen it happen before. His former teammates were there to give Yuriy support but they had no idea of what he was about to face. Garland wasn't your average blader and was ranked number one for a reason.

The door to the locker room opened to reveal Akane. "Are you going to watch the match in here by yourself?" she ask as he nodded, "don't you want to watch it in person?" "I want too," he admitted with a sigh, "but facing my former friends and teammates is another matter entirely. I'm afraid of what they might say." "Well, you are going to have to face them eventually," she lectured, "you might as well do it now instead of putting it off until later. The longer you wait, the harder it will get. I will be watching with the others if you need me."

"You have been hanging around Brooklyn too long," he remarked, cheekily, "you are beginning to sound like him." She laughed, patted his shoulder and kissed his cheek before she left him to his solitude. Takao briefly wondered where the others were. He knew for a fact that Brooklyn wouldn't attend the match. It was difficult to get him to do anything but lay around in the grass. Akane was the only one who could reason with him and sometimes he would listen to Garland when he threatened the use of force.

Mystel should return from wherever he had been sent at any given time, leaving only three of the top six to show their support for BEGA. Moses was standing near the beydish in the stadium along with Ming Ming to show their support for Garland. He really wanted to be there but he felt torn. He growled in frustration at the conflicting thoughts coming from his head and heart. His head won as he stayed in his seat and DJ Jazzman arrived. He was on the edge of his seat as his fingers tightly gripped the cushions waiting for the countdown. He hoped that his prediction about the match would be wrong.

Takao held his breath as DJ yelled, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" The blades landed and circled the dish a few times but Yuriy made the first move. He went straight on the offensive but Garland didn't seem to mind. "I am not wrong," Takao muttered to himself as his eyes were glued to the screen, "for once I wish I was." Yuriy's attacks appeared to be hitting Garland's blade but in actuallity they were just missing their mark. Garland was in the mood to play with his prey.

At the rate Yuriy was going, he would wear himself out quickly and then Garland would make his move. He didn't waste any energy or effort until the time was right. If Yuriy wanted to win, he would have to do it fast and hard but Takao knew that he wasn't strong enough to bring down BEGA's top ranked blader. Garland then started to fight back and was pummeling Wolborg without any mercy. Yuriy unleashed Novae Rogue but the attack was unable to throw Apollon from the dish. Garland's blade was still in play as Yuriy went on the offensive again.

He used Novae Rogue for a second time but missed as Apollon slammed into Wolborg instead. Just as Wolborg was going to be thrown from the dish, a cage encased the stadium to keep it in. The battle would continue until only one blade was spinning. Takao knew that Boris was trying to make the battle entertaining since nothing spectacular had happened so far. The match was about to get ugly.

Takao could only watch as Yuriy got pummeled by Garland. He was sitting on the edge of his seat but his eyes would often turn away from the screen. He almost couldn't stand to watch a blader of Yuriy's caliber being beaten so badly. He could hear the crowd chanting Garland's name. His former friends and teammates didn't look too happy by what was happening. They were trying to give Yuriy some support but nothing they offered would help.

The match progressed until Yuriy got so weak he could barely stand on his own two legs. Max tried to put a stop to the match by placing a formal complaint to Boris but his words fell on deaf ears. The match would continue until one of the bladers fell and it was destined to be Yuriy. Watching this match was almost as bad as remembering his own defeat at Brooklyn's blade. Garland then decided to put an end to it by calling out Apollon and using Radiant Thunder.

There was a brilliant white light that threw Yuriy back from the platform. He landed on the floor as Apollon returned to his master's hand. Garland's single attack had annihilated the beystadium as debris was scattered around. Kai was the one who lifted Yuriy into his arms. He had been injuried more severely than Bryan or Sergei. Max, Kyoujyu, Daichi and Hiromi were standing near him as Takao noticed that Yuriy was saying something to them.

When Takao saw the grim expression on Kai's face, he knew what was about to happen. "BORIS!" Kai spat, leaving Yuriy with Hiromi as he turned to the man, who was smirking from his seat, "you knew this would happen! You allowed it to happen! Your BEGA organization is just a big scam and you are a crook just like you were before." "What I permitted was an extreme beybattle for the audience's enjoyment," Boris fired back, "as for the other, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"All these people are my witnesses, Boris," Kai shouted, "and I personally vow to bring you and your league down!" The audience was confused by Kai's challenge since they couldn't understandwhy the world champion refused to turn pro. Takao heard Kai issue his challenge from the locker room and Boris agreed to a match. The stakes were high; if the BEGA bladers won, Boris would turn beyblading into a professional sport. If he lost, then he would disappear and hand the reins back over to Mr. Dickerson. "I accept your challenge," Kai growled, signifying the moment that Takao had been dreading. They were officially on opposite sides.

He sighed sadly but knew that he needed to make an appearance to show support for his teammates. He had dreaded this moment for months and now it was finally upon him. His former team was busy tending to Yuriy that they didn't hear the footsteps echo from the tunnel. Mystel had returned from his mission to China to retrieve Rei. As expected, the Neko-jin joined Kai's side along with Max, Hiromi, Daichi and Kyoujyu.

He was lingering near the entrance so he saw Mystel jump down from the crowd to stand with Garland, Moses and Ming Ming. Kai was still glaring at Boris while the paramedics took Yuriy away. "You are going down, Boris!" Kai growled as the crowd went completely silent when Takao stepped out of the tunnel. It was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. "Kai, why do you always have to go and ruin a good thing?" Takao ask as everyone's eyes turned to him.

The expressions on his former friends' faces were classic. Their eyes were wide and their jaws had dropped to the floor. "Takao," Max whispered as he stared wide-eyed at his friend. "Where have you been?" Hiromi demanded, snapping out of her shock. "Where I belong," he said, simply as he walked to his new friends, "I am a member of BEGA. I joined the organization when I left New York."

"Didn't you see what happened to Yuriy?" Kyoujyu ask with shock as he dropped his laptop but was too stunned with Takao's sudden reappearance that he didn't notice. "He shouldn't have been so overconfident," Takao stated, smugly, "and attempt to take down the best thing that has happened to beyblading in a long time. Do any of you believe that you will fare better against us than he did?" Takao crossed his arms beside of Garland and kept calm. Losing his cool now would not help the situation. "I can't believe you joined with him," Kai hissed as he glared at his rival, "do you not remember what happened two years ago?"

"Yes, I remember," he replied as he glared at the other teen, "but I am willing to give people a second chance. I am really good at that if _you _remember correctly." He was referring to the incident at Lake Baikal when the ice broke and he had helped save his life. He had thrown aside his differences and would give anyone that same chance. Besides, Balkov had kept his word so far and acted like a changed man.

"Takao," Hitoshi called as he came down from the stands. Takao just glared at his older brother, who gasp when Akane appeared. She must have been watching the match beside of Boris since she had jumped down from where his chair sat. "Akane," he whispered in the silent arena, "don't tell me that you are a member of BEGA?" "Yes, I am," she replied with a smile, "I am the one who convinced Takao to join. Remember, I know from experience what it is like to have those you care about turn on you for their own selfish reasons."

She had singlehandedly pointed out the reason of why Takao had left. The former Bladebreakers looked shocked and hurt. They hadn't realized how much Takao had cared for them and how much it had hurt him for them to go their separate ways. Their reasons were a bit selfish because they all desired the title he had held. The meaning of friendship went deeper than a mere title and they knew then that they should have discussed their reasons for leaving before taking off in the manner they had.

Kai growled low in his throat as his fists clenched. He might have stormed over to them if Moses hadn't been standing there acting as both a barrier and bodyguard. The six of them made a pretty good team when it was required and he could think of no one else that he would want watching his back other than Akane. She had proven her loyalty and wouldn't turn on or leave him like the others. He had chosen his side and now would have to pay the consequences for it.

"If that is your choice," Kai stormed as he went back to the others, "then so be it." He stalked off down the corridor to go after Yuriy while the others took one last look at Takao. "We didn't turn on you," Max pleaded, "didn't we deserve a chance to win the title as well?" Takao's throat constricted and he wouldn't have been able to say anything even if he had wanted too. He turned away when the tears became visible in Max's eyes. It hurt too much to even look at him.

Max followed Kai down the tunnel and you could hear the echo of his sobs. "I didn't think that you would ever turn traitor, Takao," Rei remarked with his teeth bared, "you have made your choice so I will follow my heart. Obviously, you do not have one with the way you treated Max." He followed Max as Hiromi was growling with her fists clenched. She would have stormed over to the BEGA bladers if Daichi and Kyoujyu hadn't held her back. "How can you be so cruel?" she snapped with a vein protruding from her forehead.

"Come on," Daichi remarked with a cold glare aimed at Takao, "he is definitely not worth the effort." Daichi snarled at him as Kyoujyu just frowned. They pulled Hiromi with them, leaving Takao feeling utterly rejected and miserable. He almost went after them but remembered how he had been treated before. That left only Hitoshi standing on the opposite side of the beydish.

He looked at both of his siblings before he spoke. "I hope that you have made the right decision, Takao," he remarked, completely ignoring Akane since her mind was obviously made up, "I hope that being a pro blader is more important to you than your friends and family." He too walked down the tunnel as Takao's fist clenched but Akane grabbed his hand in her own. "Don't listen to them," she whispered as the crowd began to disperse and everyone was talking about the scene they had just witnessed, "now is not the time to let your emotions get the better of you. They have made their challenge and must follow their path like we must make our own. Only fate knows which of us will be victorious."

She smiled as he returned it weakly. He knew there was some truth in her words but why did it have to hurt so much? It felt like his heart had been ripped apart once again. He didn't think the pain would ever go away. He didn't know if he wanted it too since it was his only reminder that he was still human.

AS


	5. Preparation

Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I do not own it. The only thing that I own that deals w/h Beyblade is 5 mangas, 32 beyblades, 17 DVDs, a lot of story ideas & a love of Yaoi.

A/N - I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and tell you how much I appreciate your support. You will have to wait a little longer for the pairings & fluffiness though. I have to get through the tournament first since the 2 are on opposite sides at the moment. This chapter is a bit _long_. I didn't want to split it into 2 so it's a bit lengthy. I hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter Four - Preparation**

If there was one thing Takao learned after coming out, it was how relentess the media could be. The press simply became unbearable after the match that had landed Yuriy in the hospital. He couldn't leave the BEGA building since they seemed to be camped out at all the entrances and were waiting especially for him. They all wanted an interview to find out why the former world champion supported BEGA and why the current one did not. It was all the sport and talk shows that focused on beyblading would discuss for days afterward.

It became old after only a few hours that Takao had to give up watching television since they kept showing pictures of Kai. All of the networks and radio stations were hounding the BEGA staff wanting the opportunity to speak to him but thankfully Boris managed to keep them at bay. He had made it quite clear that when Takao was ready, he would talk to the press. That was why he had wanted to stay hidden in the shadows since his privacy was ensured but Kai's challenge had changed everything. Fortunately, Boris was quite protective of his bladers and besides they had a tournament to prepare for instead of wasting time with interviews except for Ming Ming.

Several days after Kai had thrown down the gauntlet, Boris had made a decision about the upcoming tournament. He had decided that it would follow a five-on-five format. That way he could showcase more of the talent that BEGA had to offer. That meant Kai would have to put together a team of five to battle the bladers they would face. Takao easily figured that he would chose Max and Rei. There was no doubt about the two of them and possibly Daichi if the situation was extreme enough since the runt was pretty good. He would probably have difficulty filling only one spot.

BEGA had an entirely different problem. They had more than five bladers who were skilled enough to compete. If they used only the top five bladers that meant that he, Garland, Mystel, Ming Ming and Akane would qualify for the tournament. There was a problem with that logic since Boris wanted to win at all cost and they had a secret weapon that he wanted to showcase. Brooklyn was unranked and it had been planned that way on purpose.

When Boris had started to put together the BEGA venture, he had searched the world for bladers with skill and talent that didn't compete in the tournaments that the BBA organized. He knew that one day he would take over the company and he wanted one skilled blader in the organization without any existing game data. That way it would seem like he had come to BEGA as an amateur and they had turned him into a champion. From what he had learned from Akane, the only time Brooklyn had been an amateur was probably when he was still in his mother's womb. He had all ready been quite the expert blader when she had met him on a playground when they had both been nine.

He won at any game that he played; he was unfamiliar with the word loss. Because of his talent, the other children had accused him of cheating. It was quite remarkable at how cruel children could be to one another if one child was different in some little manner. Akane had understood Brooklyn because she had been somewhat of a child prodigy herself. She hadn't been a master of games like he was but an talented violinist by the time she was ten so she knew how it felt to be taunted.

Well, Boris wanted Brooklyn to participate in the upcoming tournament. Brooklyn was content enough to continue his life as he had thus far without the need for tournaments or titles. That had led to Akane's predicament on that particular day. Takao had challenged Garland to a battle since most of the other top bladers were not in. Moses was visiting his sister at the hospital while Ming Ming was promoting the new ID system that Boris had created to keep track of beybladers. The card would give them access to parts and offers that they normally could not get.

Takao wasn't stupid and knew it was a tactic to keep the unregistered bladers from getting replacement parts for their beyblades like Kai and the others. There was nothing he could do about it since he had chosen his side. Mystel was over in the States for an exhibition match in New York leaving Garland as the only top ranked blader in the building. Well, Akane and Brooklyn were around somewhere but there was no way he was going to challenge the ginger-haired boy to a rematch. He figured that Garland would provide some entertainment and competition. They had been in the middle of their match when it started.

"But I don't want too," came the childish protest from the hallway. Both Takao and Garland turned to the doorway of the training room to see what was going on. The voice sounded oddly like Brooklyn's but he hardly ever came into the room since he didn't practice. "Boris wants you to compete in the tournament," another voice argued that sounded like Akane, "and usually what Boris wants he gets. You have the talent and skill, why the hell do you not want to compete!"

Since both boys were distracted, Dragoon and Apollon hit one another and flew out of the beydish at the same time. Takao was more interested in what was going on out in the hallway than his beybattle. "There are not any worthy opponents," the first voice stated, coldly, "I don't battle unless someone can pose a challenge to me. I'm going outside to enjoy the day." Garland took a moment to look at Takao. "What is that all about?" he ask as Takao shrugged but they got their answer soon enough.

"Akane!" Brooklyn shouted as he was drug into the training room by the petite blond, who had him by the ear. She might have been smaller than he was but she was a force to reckon with when irritated. "We have to prepare," she snapped, "you have to practice for the upcoming tournament whether you want too or not." With the way she was glaring, the other trainees abandoned the room leaving only he and Garland. She attached her launcher to her forearm, secured her beyblade and aimed it right at Brooklyn's head.

"I guess I don't have a choice then," Brooklyn remarked with a sad sigh as Akane held the launcher in his face, "who do I battle?" (A/N They are both using the white launcher like Brookie did in his 2nd match against Kai. I like that one.) "I guess me," she remarked with a smirk, "I am the only one in the building who loses to you and keeps coming back for more. By the way, Takao, Boris wants to see you." Takao would rather watch Brooklyn practice since that happened once in a blue moon but knew that Boris was more important. He certainly didn't want to anger the older man as he left the room right when they launched. He felt the vibration of when their blades struck and wished he could have stayed in the training room to watch the match than answering Boris' summons.

He found the director in his office after he knocked and was called in. "Takao," Boris greeted, "I assume that Akane told you I wanted to see you." "Yes, sir," he replied, "I was in the middle of practice." "Now, that is what I like to hear," Boris remarked, pulling a box out from his desk, "I have something for you that will make your next few matches easier to win. We designed and made this especially for you. I thought it was time that you had a new one since you proudly support and stood by the BEGA league."

Takao took the box that he was offered and opened it. Inside of it lay a new beyblade that was black and silver. "I would like to introduce you to Dragoon GT," Boris stated, "or Dragoon Galaxy Tempest, the finest beyblade that BEGA can offer. It will increase your attack strength and speed. You will be unmatched by any in the dish."

Takao took out the beyblade and held it in his hand. It was heavier and a bit larger than the blade he was currently using. He couldn't wait to try it out. "Thank you, sir," he replied with a smile, "I can guarantee that this will be put to good use." "I hope so, Takao," Boris mused, "from what my sources tell me, your former teammates have decided to make their own blades to counteract our own and are getting parts from a group of rebel bladers, who have joined their side. We will not know the capabilities of these mystery blades until the Justice Five tournament so you will need to be prepared for whatever they have in store for us."

"I will be ready for anything, sir," Takao replied with a smirk, "you do not have anything to worry about with me." Boris dismissed him as he returned to the training room to see the outcome of the match he had left. He was surprised to hear coughing as he entered the room to find a thick layer of dust and debris in the air. When it finally cleared, Zeus was still spinning in what remained of the beydish but Akane's blade was still. She had lost to him yet again but this time it appeared that Brooklyn had to actually work for his victory.

He appeared to be deep in thought as he stood there looking at his spinning beyblade as Akane picked up her own. At least it hadn't shattered into pieces like Dragoon had in his battle against Brooklyn. "You have gotten better," Brooklyn admitted with an odd expression on his face, "you didn't use to blade with such an intensity before." "You had better get use to tougher competition, Brooklyn," Akane informed, "because Kai and his friends will pose even a challenge to you. You have never faced anyone with their skill and spirit before so you had better prepare yourself or you will lose."

It seemed that Akane had pointed out Brooklyn's one obvious flaw as Takao had to hide a smirk. He would have loved to have seen their battle. It obviously had been quite intense if the shattered dish was any indication. He decided to ask Garland about it later. He was surprised when Brooklyn for once took the advice he was given and could be found practicing with the others during the next few weeks.

When the rebels went to the mountains to practice and create their new MS blades, Takao used the time to master his Dragoon GT blade to the fullest. Boris had been right about the power increase that it contained. He had destroyed more dishes and opponents' blades than he could count. During that time, the other trainees started to treat him as though he was Garland and would avoid battling him if possible. Everything was falling perfectly into place at the BEGA corporate headquarters.

The time past quickly and soon it was only a week until the tournament. Boris and his staff seemed to be in a disagreement over who would compete. Boris wanted to use the top five bladers ranked in the database but some of the others thought that the amateurs should have an equal chance at a spot as the pros. The problem was Brooklyn. Takao had once heard Boris say that he was important to the BEGA project and he wanted the teen to compete if Akane could convince him to participate.

Takao didn't think it would be wise to choose the five player team from data collected in a computer. Brooklyn was proof that there were a lot of skilled bladers that hid themselves from the public eye. They should give everyone an equal opportunity to battle and see if they had the skills to compete on a pro level. Oddly enough, it was Akane and Garland, who came up with a solution when the adults could not. They suggested that the adults hold an open invitation tournament with a pro in each block.

The amateur bladers would have an equal shot at a spot on the team and could prove their talent if they could beat one of the top ranked players. It would also provide them with some last minute practice. Boris oddly approved of the idea since it would bring the public on his side. They would simply think that everyone was getting an equal chance to blade. It was a simple yet effective solution that would bolster BEGA's popularity.

It didn't solve all of their problems but created one with Moses and Ming Ming. Akane had moved up a place in the rankings a few days before the qualifying tournament and was now ranked fourth while Ming Ming had been shunted to the fifth spot. It had happened because the pop diva had been busy promoting BEGA and had not practiced as much as she should have. Everyone in the building had probably heard the result of Ming Ming being supplanted by Akane in the standings. She had thrown a major tantrum and had accused his sister of being Boris' pet.

It had nearly led to a cat fight between the two if Moses had not grabbed Ming Ming while Garland and he had tackled Akane. Moses had a hard time holding onto the pop princess as Takao wondered what the media would think of their little darling if they had saw her almost foaming at the mouth. Fortunately, Boris had come to watch them practice and had broken up the argument. When Ming Ming protested her fall in the rankings, Boris had tried to reassure her that everyone was important in BEGA and each had their role to perform. Ming Ming brought in new bladers and advertised the league.

She was a dangerous blader but Akane was better than she was and wouldn't be used as their mascot. Moses didn't have a problem with being ranked sixth. There was no way that he would say a derogatory word to Boris since the director had all ready paid for his sister's operation. He was going to participatein the qualifier and if he lost then he would spend the day at the hospital by his sister's side and watch the matches on television. Takao had a feeling that Ming Ming would regret questioning Boris' judgement later.

During that last week, the television programs speculated on who Kai would chose to be on his team. It seemed that his team had not been officially chosen and made Takao wonder what the dual hair had up his sleeve. He wouldn't be surprised if they chose someone completely unexpected to compete in the fifth match if it was needed. He still couldn't get the look that Kaihad given him at the match nearly a month before whenout of his head. That glare had haunted his dreams every night since and he found that he couldn't discuss the problem with anyone including Akane.

He also wasn't surprised to discover that Hitoshi had offered his services as their coach. They were sorely mistaken if they thought that his training would be an advantage. He had learned a few things since his abrupt departure from New York and would showcase his new moves during his match in the Justice Five tournament; no sooner. If Kai, Rei, Max or Daichi thought they knew him, it would be their downfall since he didn't know who he would compete against yet. Boris wasn't going to make the final decision until after the qualifier.

Takao knew that his friends would probably think they were cheating in some way especially when they got a load of Brooklyn's ability. From what he had seen, everyone had worked hard for their power and skill. It had nothing to do with cyber-enhancements or powerful dark bit beasts. They all had worked hard to become as good as they were with the exception of Brooklyn and Boris wanted to prove to the world that his league was legitimate. His entire venture was riding on this tournament and he couldn't risk losing everything he had worked for.

Takao was glad that he had decided to use his old blade instead of showcasing his new one when the day of the qualifier came. It was going to be broadcast on TV and if his former friends watched, it might give them an edge over him. Akane was bouncing around with a hyper Mystel as they walked to the stadium. Moses seemed amused by their behavior and chuckled from their antics. Ming Ming frowned while Garland just raised an eyebrow in amusement. This after all was their first big tournament so they had a right to be excited.

Takao decided to forget about what was going on, put on a happy face and joined the duo's bubbly mood. They stopped when they entered the stadium and stood in the back row. Mystel jumped up into the stands to get a better view since he was shorter. Takao looked around and noticed that a certain ginger-haired blader was not present. "Where's Brooklyn?" he whispered to Akane as they waited for Boris. "He'll come when it's time for his match," Akane reassured, "he promised me that he would."

He did see her expression darken as she mumbled something beneath her breathe and he knew it had to do with the missing youth. He had to smile since he had caught a bit of it and knew that both Grandpa Ryu and Ojiisan Masoe would not approve of such foul language. "I wouldn't allow grandpa hear you say that," he whispered, "he doesn't approve of foul language and would probably make you practice kendo for several hours as punishment." "That isn't much different than Ojiisan Masoe's punishment," she whispered back, "I once had to sit in the family shrine for an entire night meditating for the use of one measley curse word. It was quite uncomfortable."

At that moment, Boris and two of his staff member appeared above them. "Welcome to the invitational tournament," Boris stated, "you are all here to earn a spot for the upcoming Justice Five match. You are the best of the BEGA organization. We have divided everyone into five blocks from A to E. The winner of each block will make the team."

The other bladers cheered but Takao and Akane both smirked. "They won't be cheering in a moment," Takao whispered, darkly. "However," Boris continued, "each block also contains a top pro beyblader. These are the best BEGA has to offer. In order to beat them, you need to display incredible strength, skill and determination. Here are the pros that you will be facing."

The vid screen above him showed every participant and the block they were in. Takao noticed that he, Garland, Mystel, Akane and Ming Ming's names were highlighted in red. The amateurs weren't too happy and started to complain about the fairness of the qualifer since the winners had all ready been decided. Boris wouldn't allow that as he silenced them with a speech about having faith in their abilities. If they thought the situation was hopeless, they had no business blading at the professional level.

The other bladers considered this and were soon cheering once again. "That is going to be brutal," Akane murmured as Takao turned his attention away from Boris to his sister. "What is?" he ask as she motioned to the screen. Takao noticed that he was in Block B, Garland was in Block A, Mystel in Block C, Akane in Block D while Ming Ming was in Block E. She was pointing to the name above Ming Ming's as he even gasp.

"She has to battle Brooklyn," he murmured as Akane had to stifle a laugh, "I don't like her but I feel sorry for her." "It probably has to do with the fight that she picked with me," Akane fumed, "I am not Boris' pet. I think it is the perfect revenge. I hope Brooklyn stomps her so I can laugh about it." Takao decided not to say anything more about the subject because of the insane smile on her face. (A/N - I guess you can tell which blader I am not that fond of.)

Takao actually felt sorry for the pop diva as he looked to see that she wasn't smiling anymore. The look on her face was murderous and he reminded himself to never get on Boris' bad side. Well, she had done it to herself. She should have took her fall in the rankings more maturely but instead she had acted like a spoiled brat. Boris was the one who had turned her from a fast food server to a popular pop diva.

"Let us begin!" Boris shouted as there were more cheers. As predicted, the pros easily took care of the amateurs in each of their blocks. Some of them wasn't even worth Takao's attention as he easily battled his way to the top of his block. Mystel was dominating with his slingshot launcher while Garland shattered several blades with his one of his martial arts kicks. Akane's speed and quick strikes led her to victory as Ming Ming breezed through her own. The outcome was just as Boris had predicted until the arrival of a certain ginger-haired blader.

"The winner of Block A is Garland," DJ announced, "the winner of Block B is Takao. The winner of Block C is Mystel and the final round of Block D is in progress as we speak!" From where she was standing on the platform, Takao could tell that Akane was relieved that he had finally shown up. She was battling Moses for the fourth spot on the team. Brooklyn was preparing to battle in his first match as she finished her own match so she could watch.

Akane used a straightforward power attack that launched Gigars from the dish. Several of the competitors had to duck as Moses' blade impacted with the wall and stopped spinning in its own crater. "Akane is the winner of Block D!" DJ shouted as her blade shot back into her hand as she jumped down from the platform and ran to where Brooklyn was competing, "Let's see how Block E is faring." Brooklyn won his first match by simply outlasting his opponent. His blade simply danced around the other and he didn't even have to attack since the other one stopped spinning first.

"It's all over!" DJ announced as Brooklyn simply shrugged his shoulders, "Brooklyn is the winner! Now it is time for the final round of Block E." Takao joined Akane near the platform so they could watch the final match between their two teammates as Garland and Mystel joined them along with Moses, who didn't look upset at his own defeat. "This should be interesting," Garland remarked to no one in particular as the two prepared to launch. Ming Ming was determined to earn the last spot on the team but it was destined for Brooklyn. "Burn baby burn," Akane cackled evilly as her green eyes locked on Ming Ming, "Brookie baby, show her what you can do."

There was no love lost between those two as Takao had to hold back a laugh at his sister's behavior. He wasn't laughing at Ming's expense because he didn't want anyone to get hurt in a beybattle since he knew from experience what it was like. "3, 2, 1 - Let It Rip!" DJ shouted as they launched their blades into the dish. Unlike the other males that Ming Ming had battled against, her charm and cuteness did not appeal to Brooklyn. He simply saw through all of it.

A few minutes later, Ming Ming's blade was thrown from the dish as Brooklyn stood with a smug and arrogant expression on his face. "Your winner is Brooklyn!" DJ shouted, "it looks like BEGA has discovered another incredible blader within its ranks." Takao knew that the pop princess was masking her true emotions as she looked perky but sad at the camera. He could only imagine what she would be like when the cameras were turned off. He knew it wasn't going to be pleasant and was probably why Boris had left his perch to join them on the floor of the stadium.

"There you have it folks," DJ continued, "BEGA has selected their team and to be honest I have never seen such power and skill in my entire life. So stay tuned for the upcoming BEGA Justice League Battle and get your tickets now because it will definitely sell out. See you next week, bladers!" When the cameras turned off, Ming Ming was about to pounce on Brooklyn and Akane but Boris stopped her. "There is no need for that," he snapped as he glared at the girl, who then looked ashamed by her behavior, "since you did not make the team, you will make rounds of all the television programs to promote the match. I want the stadium full of BEGA fans and you are the only who is capable of that."

His voice turned gentle at the end and he smiled at the aqua-haired blader, who nodded in understanding. "The rest of you had better practice and prepare yourselves," he suggested but it sounded more like an order, "mentally and physically for the challenges that awaits you in one week's time. Failure is not acceptable at all cost." The five of them nodded as he motioned for Moses and Ming Ming to come with him. Takao was glad that he could finally leave.

"I think I am going to get a bite to eat and then hit the sack," he remarked as he stretched and then yawned, "I haven't slept well the past few nights thinking about the qualifier today." "Sounds like a good idea," Akane added with a smile, "but I have a few matters to attend too before I can follow. I'll see all of you later." She disappeared leaving three of the four boys looking confused by her mysterious behavior. "Is there any truth to what Ming Ming claimed before?" Mystel ask, "are you certain that she is not Boris' pet?"

Takao sweatdropped and gave the small Egyptian a glare that Kai would have proud of. Akane had her own secrets that she liked to keep and it wasn't his job to act the part of the protective older brother. That was suppose to be Hitoshi's duty. "You three are so perverted," Brooklyn mused as he laughed, "I know exactly where she goes and what she does. You should trust her more." Brooklyn disappeared as well, leaving the other three to think over his remarks.

The matter was forgotten as the next week past by in a blur. All Takao could remember was practicing and the lectures from Boris about winning at all cost. Before he knew it, the day of the tournament arrived. If he was nervous before, it was ten times worse now. He couldn't sit still as they waited in their locker room. He was bouncing around as badly as Mystel was.

"Will you sit down!" Akane snapped as her emerald orbs shot open, "you are making me nervous, little brother and I'm not even blading today." "The pacing helps," he murmured as his hand went into the pocket of his cargo pants and grasp Dragoon tightly. The mighty blue and white dragon was the only one who could calm him when he was in this mood. He hadn't even felt this way when he had battled Yuriy in his first world tournament or when he battled Zeo in his second. He was unaccustommed to feeling so nervous from the prospect of a beybattle but this was no mere match.

The entire future of beyblading was hanging in the balance and Boris' future rode on their five shoulders. _'This is when I need a sarcastic remark from Kai,' _he thought, _'to tell me to grow up and act like a true blader. I won't admit it to anyone except myself but I miss the support of my old team. Now is not the time for doubt however. I have chosen my side and I must defend the BEGA organization. It is my home now.'_

He didn't feel the hand on his shoulder until it tightened. He turned to see Garland trying to offer a bit of support. "You must pull yourself together, Takao," he remarked with a smirk, "thinking about the past only makes it worse." Takao nodded his thanks as an aide opened the door. "It's time, kids," he stated with a smile, "show them all what you can do." When he stepped out into the corridor, he could hear the roar of the crowd just like before. It was time to face his destiny.

"Blading fans of all ages, welcome to the BEGA stadium!" DJ Jazzman greeted as the crowd went wild with cheers, "and day one of the highly anticipated Justice Five Tournament! Now, let's introduce the teams! First up is the BEGA bladers! These five represent the all-new BEGA league!" Takao took a deep breath as they walked down the tunnel into the wildly cheering stadium. The fans were screaming their names as cameras flashed and he had to shield his eyes.

"And here they are," DJ continued, "the best that BEGA has to offer. The BEGA team features the mysterious Mystel, the silent but deadly Garland, the enchanting and charming Akane, our favorite dragon master Takao and the newest rising star of our sport, Brooklyn." The crowd cheered loudly for them as various fans shouted each of their names. Takao calmed down when he heard a yell of "We love you, Takao!" His former teammates and friends might have turned on him but the fans had not.

Takao refused to sit down as they waited for their opponents. He was anxious to see who Kai had chosen as the fifth member of his team since he was certain of four of the members. "Now let's bring out their competition," DJ Jazzman stated as butterflies flew around in Takao's stomach, "and they are going to be tough so please give it up for the world champion Kai and his G-Revolutions." There were light cheers as their adversaries walked into the arena that went oddly quiet. The only sound you could hear was their footsteps.

Takao's eyes would not leave Kai as he ignored the others. He was too focused on the dual hair to notice the other members of his team. Kai caught his gaze with a glare that Takao would not turn away from. Takao could feel a blush rising in his cheeks from seeing the object of his crush; even though they were on opposite sides. "Takao," Akane whispered, making him turn away from Kai as he looked at his sister, "look at their team."

"Now, let's see who is on your team," DJ announced, "I see Rei, Max, little Daichi and team captain Kai of course. But hey wait a second, what are you guys trying to pull here? You are missing one blader. Do you mind telling us who your fifth blader is?" The crowd started to get restless and jeer since there were only four of them. Takao's eyes narrowed as he scanned the bench to see Kyoujyu, Hiromi and Hitoshi sitting on it but they were obviously not blading.

"Our fifth blader could not make it to the stadium today," Kai stated, coldly, "he will be here for his match the day after tomorrow." The crowd continued to taunt them but when Boris stood up, they went quiet. "As chairman of BEGA," he stated, "I declare this tournament open." "But sir, you can't be serious," DJ called, "the rules state that the teams are to have five bladers present. The BEGA team has shown their five members but G-Revolutions has not."

"I am quite serious," Boris stated as he looked toward the G-Revolutions, "It is quite all right since Kai is a blader of his word. If he says that he has a fifth member, then I will take his word for it. Besides, their mysterious teammate may not be necessary since my BEGA bladers could win three in a row. If that happens, we will be victorious and they won't need a fifth blader." "That is so awesome!" one fan yelled from the stands, "Boris, you are the greatest!"

Boris waved and smiled back as Takao's attention turned back to Jazzman. "The time has come to introduce the starting bladers for today," Jazzman shouted. "Up first for G-Revolution is Daichi," Brad Best announced from the booth, "who brings to the dish, his ever dangerous Gaia Dragoon." Takao noticed that Hitoshi was giving the others some last minute advice from what he could tell since the vid screen showed Daichi up first followed by Rei and then Max. It was too bad that they didn't know the bladers they would actually be facing off against.

"And starting off for the BEGA bladers," DJ continued as everyone's eyes turned to the vid screen. "And let's see who they picked to go first," AJ Topper remarked from the booth he shared with Brad, "oh wow, this is totally unexpected! Please give it up for everyone's favorite blader, Takao!" The crowd went wild as most of G-Revolution look stunned. Takao had a smirk on his face as his former friends looked startled and confused. "What?" Daichi questioned as he looked surprised, "you mean I'm blading, Takao." _'You are in for a thrashing, runt,' _Takao thought as he stepped forward and waved to the crowd, '_let's do this and I'll show them who is the best.'_

AS


	6. Victory or Defeat!

Disclaimer - As stated before, if you recoginize it, then I don't own it.

**Thank you to Kai's the Best, Kicking-S-ass & Minako Mikoto for reviewing. I am so happy that you are enjoying my story!**

**To K-S-A - As you are about to find out, blading Tyson first wasn't the only thing I changed but don't despair; there may be a battle yet b/t the 2 titans of beyblade. **

A/N - This chapter came rather easy. The next chapter is giving me problems. The 2nd match was difficult to write & I hope that I did the 2 bladers justice. I am not very good at writing battle scenes w/h beyblades. I really hope that you like this chapter w/h what I changed about the story. (crosses fingers) Also I have a question. Can any of you guess who I have chosen as G-Revolutions fifth blader? I'm interested in seeing who you think it is.

**Chapter Five - Victory or Defeat?**

Round One - Takao vs. Daichi

Daichi looked surprised that Takao was going to be the first blader that G-Revolutions would face in the Justice Five tournament. The lineup had been decided by Boris since he had figured that the rebels would send out their weaker bladers first; leaving the final match for Kai. He wanted an early win and had switched their order around on purpose. With Takao battling first, a win was guaranteed and with Brooklyn blading second, they could easily win three in a row with Mystel following behind him but he hoped that the opposition would present a challenge to his bladers. An overwelming performance by BEGA would not entertain the crowd and legitimize his enterprise.

Takao was a little nervous as he stepped forward but Daichi even more so. He had expected to battle either Akane or maybe Brooklyn; not his former partner. Kai looked extremely pissed from Takao's perspective since this was the battle that he had been wanting. Maybe Akane and Brooklyn had been right to question his ability to face off against his old friends. He hadn't gotten too close to Daichi in the short amount of time they had been teammates and could put his feelings and emotions aside.

Takao smirked as he looked at the younger boy. "I thought this was the battle that you wanted," he teased with malice in his eyes. "I'm going to put you in your place, Takao," Daichi growled, "and I'm glad that it is me who was given the honor to do it." Kai had stepped forward but Hitoshi called him back since it was too late to change their lineup. Takao wondered briefly how well he had prepared his team for this battle.

"We shall see," Takao said, coldly as he briefly turned around to look at his teammates. They all nodded in reassurance. He would definitely win the first round. There was no doubt in his mind at all. Everyone knew that he would win and it was expected.

"Go Takao!" was the cheers eminenting from the crowd as he relaxed since the fans were on his side. They were treating him like he was still the world champion instead of Kai and Takao knew that this was only fueling the fire even more between the two teams. It made him wonder if they could ever be friends again. He hoped that when this was all over that they could come to some kind of mutual agreement; no matter what the outcome. Boris was certain that they would be victorious but Takao knew that G-Revolutions was going to be tougher than he anticipated. He knew better than to underestimate his old teammates.

"Here we go!" DJ shouted, "It is time for these bladers to prove who has the best team of all. Bring out the stadium!" The floor moved in front of Takao to reveal a rather plain dish with ruins and pillars.

"Hokey Dinah, you had better love this game if you are going to blade in this stadium," Brad announced from the booth. "The Hestia Stadium may look fancy but its treacherous," AJ remarked as Takao just sighed. It wasn't that challenging of a dish; he had bladed in a lot worse.

"Take a look at that dish, folks!" DJ added with awe, "which of our battling bladers has the skill to avoid the pitfalls of this stadium? Will Daichi make Kai's team proud or will Takao show us why he was the world champ for two years straight and send the win to BEGA? Whoever would have thought that these former teammates would be on opposing sides would have been considered insane a few months ago." Takao cracked open an eye as he looked toward Daichi, who was getting some last minute advice from his teammates. Kyoujyu had his lap top open to analyze the battle data; there was no doubt of that but he suspected that he was also scanning the stadium for any devices that would allow him to cheat. He was the former world champion for Kami's sake, he didn't need to cheat to win and he was going to prove it.

"It's time!" DJ shouted, "let's start the first battle of the Justice Five!" The cheering got even louder as Takao took a brief moment to look up at the stands. He saw the various members of the other teams sitting among the fans. They were here to support Kai since the crowd was predominantly on BEGA's side. "Okay, let's meet the competitors!" DJ shouted, "here comes Takao!"

Takao smiled as he walked up to the beydish. He waved at the fans, who only cheered even louder for him. "And where is Takao's opponent?" DJ continued, "here he is right now. Say hello to Daichi!" He jumped up onto the platform as the cheers turned to boos. Takao smirked at the faces that monkey boy was making. It had been so easy to turn the fans against them.

He briefly looked up to where Boris was sitting, who nodded. He knew that the director wanted him to prolong this battle so he could gather some data on their new blades. It would help his teammates as he returned the gesture to confirm that he understood what he wanted. He pulled out his launcher from one of his pant pockets. Unlike his other teammates, he prefered to use a normal launcher instead of a slingshot like Mystel's or a crossbow in the case of Brooklyn & Akane.

Besides, he doubted that his blade would even land in the dish if he tried to use one of those. They had become use to them but he got the same results from a normal launcher. He pulled out his new Dragoon blade and attached him. He was now ready. His attention then turned to his opponent, who turned to him and who the crowd was still booing.

"Meet the blade that will defeat you, Takao!" Daichi bragged as he showed off his new blade, "Gaia Dragoon Metal Spike will have the crowd cheering my name instead of yours and BEGA will be one step closer to losing. I will be known as the greatest blader of them all and not you." "I don't think so," he replied back with another smirk, "Dragoon Galaxy Tempest begs to differ. You will be the one who will lose. It is definitely not going to be me. I am the former world champ. You could only manage third place at the tournament without me as your partner."

Daichi growled in frustration at his words. Takao always knew that his big mouth was useful; it had just taken Akane to teach him how to use it properly. His eyes narrowed at the beyblade however. It was smaller than any he had ever seen. How could a blade that small have enough power to take down their own which was the best that BEGA had? This was going to be an interesting battle and Takao was actually looking forward to a bit of a challenge.

"Are you ready!" DJ ask as the two got into position, "3, 2, 1, - LET IT RIP!" Takao pulled back the ripcord so hard that he almost tore it in half by his power. His blade landed into the stadium without any problem but Daichi was nearly thrown back by his launch. It took everything he had just to stay on his feet as he frailed his arms about wildly. Takao could feel the force of Gaia Dragoon's launch from where he was standing. That little blade was a lot more powerful than he had anticipated.

"It looks like your launch was as unsteady as you are," he taunted, trying to make Daichi mad so he would make mistakes, "do you think you can win against me with that homemade blade of yours?" "Shut up!" Daichi yelled, "I'll show you. Go Gaia Dragoon!" Takao had to admit that Daichi's blade was faster than he had first thought as it circled around his own. He wasn't there just to battle Daichi and win but also do his own analysis of their blades so he could pass the information on to his teammates if there was any trouble.

That was why he had been the world champion for two straight years. He might have repeated it a third time if he had stayed but fate had conspired against him. Beyblading to him was just as important as anything you could learn at school. He could anticipate an opponent's attack and analyze their capabilities. He could use what he learned from others against them. That is why he had been the champion.

Takao knew that Daichi wouldn't play a waiting game for long and sure enough his experience proved right. "Go for it, Gaia Dragoon!" Daichi yelled as he went on the attack. Takao had to give the younger boy credit. His new blade did give him more power but not enough to beat him. Daichi seemed surprised that his blade hadn't moved after his strike but had stood his ground as they sawed away at one another.

Dragoon GT was holding his own. "No Way!" the younger blader exclaimed as the smile on Takao's face widened. "Your blade is powerful," he remarked, "and quite impressive but you will have to do better than that if you wish to beat me. Go Dragoon!" The tables quickly turned as he went on the attack and slammed Daichi's blade. Takao ignored everyone so he could concentrate on his match and show them the true power of the BEGA bladers.

He showed off a few of his new moves as Dragoon used his new blade to its fullest potential. He actually sent Daichi's blade skyward but it hit one of the pillars and bounced back into the center of the dish. "Having fun yet?" he smirked to the younger, who growled in frustration. "This isn't over, Takao," he hissed, "beyblading means everything to me. I won't let anyone take it away."

"And you think it is meaningless to me?" Takao ask with a raised eyebrow, "BEGA is just making the sport even more exciting and intense. Anyone in their right mind would jump at the opportunities and beybattles that I have been given. It is a pro-blader's dream come true." Takao knew that he was getting under Daichi's skin and that the younger would have to act fast if he wanted to win. The longer he prolonged this match, the more humilating his defeat would be.

"Go Gaia Dragoon!" Daichi countered, putting all of his energy into one last strike, "Use Prehistoric!" Takao felt the earth shake beneath his feet. Daichi's new attack was quite powerful and impressive as he felt like he was in the path of a giant meteor. "Yeah, that's it!" Daichi cheered, "blow the lid off this place! Spike Saw!"

That was the moment that Takao had been waiting for. It would take Gaia Dragoon a few seconds to impact with his blade and that was all he needed to give the victory to him. "Dragoon!" he ordered, seeing his opportunity, "Solar Wind Destroyer!" He heard his engine gear kick in as his bit chip lit up and Dragoon emerged with a roar. The funnel cloud that he created was so intense that he nearly lost his lucky hat to its power and Daichi had almost been sucked into the vortex as well.

It turned into a fierce battle between two different forces of nature. Daichi's earth element versus his control over air. Usually the earth could withstand the power of wind but not in this case. His tempest easily took away Daichi's power in mid-descent as Dragoon launched himself at his counterpart. The impact sent off an intense shockwave that made everyone cringe.

All Daichi could do was stand there and watch as their blades struck. The force of the blow sent Gaia Dragoon flying over his head and landed at Kai's feet. Takao hadn't planned it that way on purpose but it had been a nice effect. Daichi looked shocked that he had lost. He looked even more surprised as he turned back to him and saw Dragoon GT spinning perfectly in place in the destroyed dish like nothing had happened.

"It is over!" DJ announced as Dragoon returned to his hand, "after a fierce battle, the first game of the Justice Five has ended. Takao wins the battle with his skill and the power of his mighty Dragoon. That means BEGA takes the lead!" Takao couldn't help himself as he pumped his fist up into the air. "YES!" he shouted as the crowd cheered wildly and called his name. This is what beyblading was all about; this was what drew him to the sport: to hear the fans cheering your name, to battle a skilled opponent and to have as much fun as possible.

He could hear Akane clapping and cheering as well but the others were only smirking or smiling. Kai looked disgusted as the others looked downcast and upset; even Hitoshi was frowning. Daichi fell to his knees mumbling and hitting his fist into the floor, "I lost! I lost! I can't believe that I lost!"

Takao decided to be the bigger man and walked over to him. He offered his hand to the younger boy as he took it and helped him back to his feet. "Nice try," he remarked with a sincere smile and rubbing the bridge of his nose, "you had me worried there for a second. Maybe we can battle again sometime when there isn't anything at stake." "Congratulations, Takao," Daichi mumbled, "maybe I was wrong about you but only maybe."

He then walked back to his team as Takao returned to his own. "That was wicked, little bro," Akane congratulated first, "that was an impressive battle." "Hey Kai!" Garland taunted, "you don't stand a chance at beating BEGA. The next match is going to be even tougher than this one was." "Just bring it on," Kai replied, cooly, "my team has more skill than you realize so you had better be ready, Garland."

Kai and his teammates walked back to their bench. They had a fifteen minute break between the matches as the BEGA team went back to their locker room to have a brief conference. "Anything we should know about their blades?" Garland ask after the door shut. "Don't underestimate them," Takao suggested, "they are quite powerful and fast. They are not invinicible and can be beaten. Don't let them take you by surprise."

Everyone's eyes turned to Brooklyn and his upcoming match. He was yawning loudly and stretching his arms. He flopped down into one of the chairs and laid back in it. "I'm going to have a little siesta," he remarked, "wake me when it is time for the second match." "Are you even listening to Takao's advice, Brooklyn?" Garland demanded. "I've heard it all before," he replied, arrogantly, "I don't need to hear it again, Garland." Everyone thought an argument would start between them but Garland let it drop since he wasn't in the mood to fight with the ginger-hair; it would only cause more frustration on his part.

Round Two - Brooklyn vs. Rei

When they returned to the stadium after a small siesta as Brooklyn so fondly put it, the G-Revolutions were sitting on their bench. Rei seemed to be in a deep meditation since his legs were crossed and his eyes closed. Hiromi seemed to be having a fight with a towel over the fact that he had won. The others sweatdropped at her behavior but it was Hitoshi who ordered her to stop. Takao was glad that he didn't have to deal with her. "Don't be overconfident, Brooklyn," Takao warned the ginger-haired blader, "Rei is very dangerous and almost as good a bladeras Kai. He will beat you if you are not careful."

"I don't think so," Brooklyn admonished, arrogantly, "I never lose." A sigh alerted him to Akane who was shaking her head in disbelief. It seemed that he hadn't learned his lesson after all. "Welcome back blading fans!" DJ greeted, "to the second match of the Justice Five Tournament." "The second match pits Brooklyn vs. Rei," Brad stated from the booth, "this is Brad Best." "And AJ Topper," his other half continued, "we're back for the second match and the crowd is going wild over the blader of the hour, the young upstart Brooklyn!"

The crowd was chanting "Brooklyn! Brooklyn!" at the top of their lungs. Brooklyn just smiled cockily as his eyes looked across the stadium at G-Revolutions. Takao smirked since this was another unexpected move and if they thought he was an amateur they were mistaken. He hadn't shown much of his talent in his match against Ming Ming. Rei didn't know what was about to hit him. (A/N - I love Rei Rei too so nothing bad is going to happen to him.)

"This young rookie beat out Ming Ming in the qualifying tournament for a spot on the BEGA team," Brad remarked. "Not much is known about this kid," AJ added, "but he has to be good to beat a blader of Ming Ming's ability. She was ranked fifth in the BEGA standings, Brad." "For the second round," DJ interrupted, "our lucky bladers will be battling in the Battletown Stadium!" The dish rose out of the floor to reveal a replica of a Mediterranean fishing village.

"That dish is tight," Takao whistled, "there is little room to manuver down those streets." "I can handle it," Brooklyn smirked, "it is not a big deal." Takao didn't know how Brooklyn could remain so cocky. Rei had jumped up from the bench with a look on his face that Takao remembered vividly from the past. It was one of sheer determination and conviction. He was determined to win at any cost.

"Let's start this shall we?" DJ called as the two opponents walked forward. Brooklyn was calm but cocky while Rei's golden orbs could almost tear someone apart from just his gaze. Takao had never seen him in such a serious state of mind before and wished he was battling Rei instead of Brooklyn. "Are we ready?" DJ began, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" Both blades launched as Zeus landed in the street and sat spinning in place.

The match proved intense from the start as Brooklyn simply smirked but Rei utilized his blade's incredible speed. Brooklyn was the type that would just wait another blader out but Rei went on the attack as Driger MS darted forward for a straightout assault. Takao knew that was unlike Rei as Driger's speed surprised even Brooklyn. Brooklyn tried to dodge but Driger nicked Zeus enough to send him flying into a building. "That was an incredible move," Akane murmured with awe, "he is one of the best bladers I have ever seen. Why didn't he win the tournament?"

"He lost his match against Kai," Takao stated, "they are equally matched but Kai will always be tougher. It's the only advantage he has over Rei. That move took perfect technique & timing. I wouldn't expect anything less from a blader of Rei's caliber." "No one does that to me," Brooklyn snarled, looking shocked as Zeus freed itself from the rubble, "I don't lose to anyone."

Driger than sped up and started to slam Zeus all over the dish. His moves were unpredictable and quick with absolutely no mercy. Brooklyn's fist clenched and the smirk faded from his face. He was getting angry since he could not anticipate Rei's attacks. He had never bladed someone with such skill and passion before. Akane began to get worried as did Takao when they saw a strange purplish-black fire form around Brooklyn.

"This is not good," Garland remarked as all of their eyes were on their teammate, "If he lets his emotions get the better of him, he will lose control. Akane is there anything you can do?" "I only talked him into competing in the tournament," she informed with a sigh, "he won't listen to me if he gets upset and if he gets really angry, Zeus will influence him even more and will block everyone out. There is nothing I can do or say. He's on his own."

Brooklyn then started to attack as their beybattle turned into a street fight. The buildings were being systematicly destroyed by their powerful slams. It was getting brutal as Brooklyn seemed to be slipping further and further into the darkness surrounding him. Akane called his name several times but he ignored her just as she had said. Takao was uncertain who would win and he could not tear his eyes away from the dish.

"I won't lose!" Rei shouted, "I told you, Brooklyn, I won't give up! I am not fighting just for myself. I am fighting for bladers all over the world! For my friends who built my hard metal beyblade by hand! For my clan, the White Tigers, who watch over and support me! For my teammates, who taught me the true spirit of beyblading. And for my one-time friend but now rival, who has always challenged me to be the best that I could! That is why I will never give up!"

Rei's eyes had turned to Takao for a brief moment during his passionate speech. He couldn't believe that the Neko-jin had thought so highly of him. It was quite unexpected. Brooklyn's face fell for a brief moment from the emotion that Rei had roused with his words. He wasn't fighting for anyone except himself and the BEGA organization.

Rei went back on the attack as Brooklyn just stood there with his eyes void of life and emotion. He seemed to be thinking over what the Neko-jin had said. He had always considered beyblading just a game of spinning tops that he easily won. "Snap out of it, Brooklyn!" he heard Boris shout from where he was sitting, "you are a member of team BEGA! I expect you to defend the honor of your team and organization!"

Takao watched in wonder as the match continued. He was surprised that Brooklyn was still in it. He had recovered from his moment of reflection but Rei was winning the match. He had never seen Rei battle so well before. It made him want to face him all over again. He was blading with a passion and pride that he had never seen.

"My friends and teammates are depending on me!" he shouted to Brooklyn, who actually looked a bit frightened, "I am not going to let them down! You'll have to deal with the full might of Driger! Metal Slash!" Rei began to glow a bright green. "I will not lose!" Brooklyn shouted, "Zeus, King of Darkness!"

Their blades collided shaking the very foundation of the building itself. They unleashed every ounce of the elemental forces inside their beyblades. You could hear them sawing away at the other as a blinding light erupted from the middle of the dish and the two beyblades. Takao shielded his face with an arm because of its intensity as his teammates did the same. It was quite a sight to witness since he had never seen such power before.

You couldn't even hear DJ over the noise and he was having a difficult time staying in his place from the force. The dish exploded as fragments of it went everywhere. There was then a blinding white and purplish light that shook the entire building. Pieces of debris fell down like raindrops. The entire dish was demolished and their blades were still fighting in mid-air.

It was an unbelievable sight as the two looked near exhaustion. They both groaned and fell to their knees at the same moment since they had depleted all of their energy. Their blades broke apart as everyone held their breath. It seemed that both blades were going to fall out of the dish. The two bladers were too tired to notice.

Akane who had been on the edge of her seat the entire match jumped to her feet and ran toward the platform. She yelled the one word that would change the outcome of the match to BEGA's favor. "BROOKLYN!" she screamed in fear, anguish and love. "What?" he whispered as his eyes shot open and with his last ounce of strength focused his attention on Zeus. It landed barely in the dish.

Everyone on the BEGA bench sighed in relief at the same time. Their attention then turned to Rei and watched as Driger MS fell and landed less than an inch _outside _of the dish. "Oh Rei," Takao mumbled as his throat tightened at the sight of one of his greatest rivals losing by a few mere centimeters. With his performance, he had either deserved to win or tie in the very least. "It's over!" DJ announced, "Zeus landed in the stadium but Driger is out! Brooklyn is the winner!"

The fans went wild cheering for the both of them since it had been an intense battle. Akane ran forward to Brooklyn first and caught him in her arms as he fell back from his fatigue. Takao joined her since Brooklyn was taller than she was and helped the youth to his feet. He was a bit unsteady at first but recovered quite quickly. "You did it, dude!" Takao congratulated with a grin, "and I think you learned something valuable in the process!"

"I learned never to underestimate my opponent ever again," he admitted with a slight smile, "Rei had me worried there for a few minutes. I really thought he was going to win." They were going to help him back to the bench and locker room but after a few moments, he shrugged off their help. "There is something I must do," he admitted as he pulled away, "I'll be right back." He walked unsteady but slowly over to Rei, who was still kneeling.

Like he had done in his match against Daichi, Brooklyn offered his hand to Rei in the same manner. "I have never battled someone like you before," he admitted as he helped Rei up, "you tested me to my fullest potential and it was a lot of fun. I hope that we can battle again sometime." "I'm just glad that you understand what I was battling for now," Rei remarked with a grin, "and I take you up on that offer but next time I will beat you." The smile on Brooklyn's face was geniune and Takao had never seen the ginger-haired blader so sincere before.

It was like something dark had been lifted away from him as Akane grabbed his beyblade from the debris. A sharp intake of breathe turned his attention to her. She was intently staring at his blade or the bit chip to be precise. "What is it?" he ask as she looked up at him with a startled expression, "what's wrong?" "Look at Zeus," she whispered as he took a look at the bit chip. He had never seen the blade up close and didn't see anything different about the picture but noticed that Rei had damaged it down to its core. Zeus would have to be totally rebuilt before Brooklyn could blade again.

"I don't see anything-" he began but was cut off by her. "Look at his wings," Akane insisted as he then recalled what Zeus had looked like during his own battle against Brooklyn. Zeus had been a terrifying sight to behold but the darkness surrounding him seemed to have lifted. His wings now glowed a pearly white and he truly looked like the Greek god he represented. "I thought something had changed about Brooklyn's demeanor at the end of the match," Akane informed, "I noticed that Zeus was different as well. It seems that Rei had a more positive affect on him than we could ever dream or hope."

Takao smiled as did Akane as she went to show Garland and Mystel the change in Zeus. Takao's eyes turned back to the two who were still oddly enough talking. He had never seen Brooklyn looking so happy and Rei had been the perfect person to help. _'Thank you, Rei,' _he thought as his smile grew,_ 'you don't know what you have truly done for BEGA with your loss. I believe you did what none of us could accomplish. You saved an innocent soul from the darkness.'_ That put him in a better mood as they awaited the start of the third round of the tournament.

AS


	7. Against All Odds!

Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I do not own it.

**Thank you to Minako Mikoto & kicking-S-ass for reviewing. I would like to thank Minako Mikoto for her guesses; one of which is right. I was going to ask your opinion about the 4th round but decided that I would just write it the way I had planned.**

**Chapter Six - Against All Odds!**

Takao found himself wandering around the stadium after the second round. Boris had announced a slight delay in the third round since it was going to take a little time to clean up the stadium from Brooklyn and Rei's match. He couldn't believe how viciously Rei had fought and had only earned a loss for his effort. That match had been so intense to watch and had changed Brooklyn for the better. The darkness and anger had been lifted from his cocky demeanor and it had took a rival to accomplish what none of his teammates could.

His mood soured the more he walked however. He couldn't understand why everyone believed that Max would lose against Mystel. Just because Max depended on his defensive style of blading did not make him weak. He knew that Mystel was strong but he wasn't invinicible like Brooklyn had been. If he tried to change his style then he would definitely lose.

He wished that the reporters and fans had more faith in the underdog. Max was by far not an amateur and he would soon prove that. Rei had definitely shown his power and skill in his match; now it was up to Max. Takao put his hands in the pockets of his pants as he heard a pair of reporters in front of him talking about the upcoming battle. "Max doesn't stand a chance," the shorter of the two said, "Don't get me wrong, Max's defense is great but Mystel can attack at every angle; even from above. It will be too overpowering."

"Well I guess we have tomorrow's headlines then," his taller companion added, sadly, "_BEGA Sweeps Series Against G-Revolutions_." Takao growled low in his throat from their comments. "You're wrong!" he snapped, furiously as Max emerged from the bathroom inbetween them. He hadn't counted on his old teammate and friend being there to witness his outburst. "What do you mean?" the shorter reporter ask with interest.

"You have to give G-Revolutions a little more credit," he informed as Max's eyes widened from his comment, "they would not send Max out unless they knew he had a chance to win. Give him a little credit. He's not as weak as you claim or is Mystel as invinicible as you think." "Why would you defend your old team?" the taller reporter ask, "you are Mystel's teammate; a member of BEGA. You should be supporting your team."

"I do support my team," Takao defended, not knowing that Boris was watching the exchange with interest as well, "Mystel is powerful but I'm just saying that it is not wise to underestimate Max. He is a very talented blader and one day he will stand among the elite when it comes to skill. Am I the only person in this building who doesn't doubt his ability and I'm on the opposing side?" The reporters were going to say something else but Boris cleared his throat and they made it a point to leave. Even though he had claimed to have reformed, he was still a very intimidating figure.

"Now that was interesting," Boris remarked as Max looked confused at Takao but only growled at Boris. "What a coincidence to find the two of you in a hallway together," Boris remarked with a smile on his face, "I do hope this is a friendly visit." "I was not talking to him," Max replied, "I was just coming out of the bathroom when we bumped into one another. I can't talk to either of you now." "If you can't talk, then just listen," Boris advised, "you must win your match today."

"You can count on that," Max glared. "We're not going to back off however," Boris continued. "What is your point then?" Max questioned. "It's a simple explanation that even you can understand," Boris continued, "if my BEGA team wins 3 straight games, well, there is no drama in it. People will think that I am cheating in some way even though your old teammate, Takao is on my side."

Max glared at Boris who was chuckling at his expense. "The general consensus is that Mystel will beat you," the chairman informed, "but I am certain that you will prove that silly prediction wrong. Won't you, Maxie? After all, Takao did come to your defense and you don't want to make him look like a fool." Max frowned before he stalked back to the locker room that G-Revolutions occupied. They both watched him leave as Boris turned to him.

"What is your prediction, Takao?" he inquired as they stood in the corridor, "would you be willing to stand by what you just said to the two reporters about Max's ability?" "I don't think anyone should underestimate him, sir," Takao remarked, thoughtfully, "Max is a good blader and Mystel is not without his faults. I think they are more evenly matched than anyone realizes." "I hope that you are right," he mused with another smile, "we need a good third match and the papers will have a field day with your comments tomorrow if he loses. Don't defend one of your old teammates again."

Takao flinched from the icy tone of Boris' voice. "I suggest that you return to the BEGA locker room that houses your current teammates," Boris advised before he walked away. Takao was glad when he was gone and hated that Boris had saw the incident. He wasn't going to let the reporters belittle any blader; regardless of whose side they were on. He decided to obey Boris and head back to their locker room.

When he walked into the room, he found only Garland sitting in a chair. "Where is everyone?" Takao inquired. "Mystel disappeared," Garland informed, "and Akane escorted Brooklyn back to our room. He was exhausted from his match with Rei. I doubt he will stay there. Where have you been?"

"I was just walking around," Takao informed with a shrug, "trying to clear my head. I had an incident with some reporters over Max's chances at beating Mystel. Then both Max and Boris overheard my remarks. After Max disappeared, then I got chastisedby Boris for running my mouth off to the press. They are certain to publish my remarks tomorrow in the paper."

"I thought Akane cured you of that," Garland mused with a smirk, "but seriously, do you really think that Max stands a chance at beating Mystel? Mystel has agility and skill. He can attack at any angle but even I must admit that I see your point. There is an old saying that goes, 'buckle your armor after victory'. It simply means don't let down your guard until even after you win."

"I don't think anyone should underestimate Max," Takao added, "he has been known to rise to the occasion when he is needed. I believe this is one of those times." "Brooklyn is asleep," Akane stated as she walked through the door, "he collasped on his bed and was sleeping peacefully when I left. I doubt he will stay there. He has a certain fondness for taking naps outdoors. We still have some time before the match is set to start. Would either of you like to go with me and get a bite to eat in the cafeteria?"

Garland shook his head no as Takao jumped up. "I could use something," he remarked, "I will gladly accompany you. Shall we?" He held his arm out as she linked hers with his and laughed. Takao noticed that both Rick and Max were in the room when they entered as they took an empty table near theirs.

Takao looked at the menu as a server appeared. "I want something sweet," Akane remarked to no one in particular, "what about you?" "I think some ice cream would be nice," Takao admitted as he thought the same thing. They both ordered an ice cream as Takao's eyes wandered about the room. Max and Rick seemed to be having an argument that probably related to everyone's belief that he would lose to Mystel.

Rick was able to calm him as Takao watched Max drown his noodles in mustard. He must have felt his stares as the two looked over to him. Takao turned away quickly since their ice cream arrived and started to eat the sweet and creamy substance. He didn't eatsweets like he had use too since they took nutrition classes that showed them how to eat healthy. It was rare to see Akane eat something that wasn't green or leafy especially a dessert. Brooklyn would have a fit if he saw the ice cream since he was a vegan and didn't eat any foodthat came from an animal.

"I think we should be heading toward the stadium," Akane remarked after they had finished and had looked at the clock, "the match is set to begin in a few minutes and Mystel will need us there. Besides, I don't want to get chewed out by Boris. He may let Brooklyn get by with such things but the same doesn't hold for the rest of us. It is not fair but it's life." Takao nodded in agreement since that was so true.

The seats were filling with fans as they joined Garland on the bench. He was the only one sitting there. "Where is Mystel?" Akane ask. "He's around somewhere," Garland remarked with a sigh, "he'll show." Takao took the opportunity to look at their opponents.

G-Revolutions looked unhappy and restless. There were no smiles among them especially with Max. He looked more upset than usual. Takao wondered how much dissent the argument had caused between them. They should have more faith in their teammate.

Round Three - Max vs. Mystel

"We are at a pivotal moment in beyblade history, folks!" DJ began, "this landmark Justice 5 Tournament has shown no justice to Kai and his team, G-Revolutions. So far game one saw Daichi lose to the former BBA world champion turned BEGA member, Takao. In game two, Brooklyn narrowly beat Rei. Can G-Revolutions avoid being swept in this best of five series? Or will the BEGA bladers emerge as the new champions of our favorite sport?

Can the underdog G-Revolutions team forge a comeback? The tournament's third match will feature the ever unpredictable Mystel against the calm and determined Max. The pressure is on! If Max loses, it's game over and see ya wouldn't want to be ya. Well, let's get this party started! Here is the dish for the third match - the Sunken Sparta Stadium."

"Where is Mystel?" Garland grumbled as Max stepped forward while AJ and Brad were talking about the stats and the dish. Takao saw Hitoshi say something to the usually perky and bubbly blond as the rest of the team stood as well. He couldn't believe his eyes but Kai was apologizing as were the others. "About time," he muttered as Max walked onto the platform. Mystel picked that exact moment to make his entrance as he jumped down through one of the sky lights on the roof. He landed on his feet right on the platform as Max gasp.

"Well, shall we start?" Mystel said with a smile. "Are we ready?" DJ ask as both launcher and slingshot were loaded, "3, 2, 1 - Let It Rip!" Both of the blades landed in the dish simultaneously and the match was off to a fast start. Takao watched as Max attacked Mystel first and then did the oddest thing. His blade started to circle around Mystel's as though it was waiting for the right opening.

"What is he doing?" Akane ask as a smile broke out across Takao's face. "It appears that he will dodge Mystel's attacks," he informed with a chuckle, "until he sees a window of opportunity and then strike." "That is very clever strategy," Garland admitted, "but I don't believe that it will work." "Come and get me, Mystel!" Max called as the Egyptian sent his blade in pursuit of Draciel. Mystel then went on the attack as Max went back to playing defense.

It looked like he was getting pounded by Poseidon especially when he started to use his legendary 360 degree attack. "Mystel makes me tired by just watching him," Akane remarked after three consequetive twirl and tosses, "I prefer to conserve energy during a beybattle and strike when they least expect it. Mystel is pounding Max's blade. How much more of it can he take?" "It only looks that way, sis," Takao informed with a mysterious smile, "remember that looks can be deceiving."

He went mute on the subject to see if Akane could figure it out on her own. Takao could see that Max was adjusting his timing when the blades impacted to keep the damage down to a minimum. It was a pretty sophiscated technique for one of Max's skill. His old teammates were getting better as the tournament progressed. Takao could see that clearly now

He only wished that he could have battled someone other than Daichi. As he continued to watch the match, there was a chance that Max could actually win it. He was blading better than he had ever seen before. It was like he was possessed as Rei had been. Well, he knew that this match was their last chance at victory. It was either win or be thrown out of beyblading forever.

Their beyblades continued to move around the dish as Mystel and Max both started to look tired. Exhaustion would soon overtake the two of them as their beyblades climbed up a pillar and onto the roof of the temple. It was the calm before the storm as Takao knew this match was about over. "Ocean Javelin!" Mystel ordered, calling out his bit beast. Their eyes were transfixed on the beyblades as Poseidon threw his trident right at Max's blade.

As he thought, Max used the moment it would take for Poseidon to strike to use one of his powerful defensive moves. "Aqua Shield!" he yelled as the wall of water took away Poseidon's power. If the blade had been at full strength when it impacted with Draciel, it would have knocked Max out of the dish but the water had weakened it enough that Max was fighting back and holding his ground. A wave of water almost sent Max tumbling backwards but he held his ground.

"BEGA is not going to get the best of me!" Max shouted, "go Draciel!" The turtle emerged from his blade and fought back. Their blades were locked in a fierce stalemate that had to end eventually. The power of their blades sent water and wind through the air. It was like there was a typhoon inside of the stadium as everyone including the fans got wet. "I just washed my hair," Akane groaned as the wind intensified but Takao's eyes did not leave the dish.

Their blades were demolishing the dish as all of the pillars and temple fell from the elemental forces coming out of their beyblades. A wall of water came spilling out of the dish that covered Max but Mystel jumped out of the way in time. They even got a bit wetfrom where they had been sitting. The wave of water also brought another surprise. "Mystel's blade is out!" Brad Best called. "And so is Max's!" AJ added, "which means a simulatenous exit!"

"The third match of this tournament ends in a draw!" DJ announced as Akane looked surprised. "Coming from behind like that wasn't an easy accomplishment," Garland remarked as Mystel was hanging on one of the support beams, "it was impressive that he could fight back and earn a tie." "It took guts for him to stick to his strategy," Takao mused, "he almost won it." Mystel like he and Brooklyn had before him went to congratulate Max on the match. They shook hands as the crowd began to cheer both of their names. All Takao could do was smile at how well Max had battled.

"I must congratulate you three for your performance today," Boris complimented as the five teens sat in their locker room, "You bladed brilliantly and made the BEGA organization proud. Now, we have a day off tomorrow. Takao, Brooklyn and Mystel are free to do whatever you wish. Akane and Garland, I want the two of you to practice for your upcoming matches. I don't expect anything less but a victory from either of you."

Akane nodded while Garland replied, "you have nothing to worry about, sir." "Well as a reward for your performance, all of you are free for the rest of the day. I expect you back before curfew. Go and have some fun." The five teens looked surprised that Boris was being nice and Akane was going to jump at the chance to go out. They all departed ways except for the two of them, one of which remained seated in his armchair after the others had left.

Garland stayed in the building to practice while Brooklyn left to go to the park. Mystel disappeared as well leaving the two siblings alone. "Is there anything you would like to do?" Akane ask, "I hate spending the evening all by myself. How about we go visit Grandpa Ryu? We haven't seen him since we stopped by to pick up some of your clothes." "There is a problem with your suggestion," Takao sighed, "I bet G-Revolutions is staying at the dojo while they are in town. I know that Daichi is there and-"

"You don't want to risk the chance of running into Kai, right?" Akane teased, "why don't you just go and explain to him why you left? I am sure that he would under-" "I won't do it, Akane!" Takao shouted with rage as he jumped up in his seat, "I can't!" Akane looked shocked since he had never raised his voice to her before. "Don't you think I have thought about it?" he continued to rant, "every day since I left New York I've thought about him. Kai has his pride and the only way to make him understand was with a beybattle that Boris denied me!"

He took a brief moment of pause to catch his breathe and settle in his seat before he continued. "I am a coward," he added with a sad sigh, "that is afraid to face an old friend and teammate because I don't want to hear what he might say about me. He'll never care for me like I do him." "You won't know until you ask," Akane advised, "I keep flirting with Brooklyn hoping that he will eventually notice me and take what I am offering. I get tired of it but I don't stop."

"You two are destined to be together," Takao remarked with another sigh, "Brooklyn said it would one day come to pass and that your coupling was written in the stars." "What?" Akane snapped as her eyes widened, "when did you hear this?" "From the source itself," he admitted with a sheepish smile since he hadn't meant to tell her, "he said something to the effect that you had to be friends before you could be lovers." "I'll be-" Akane started to curse, "I'm going to find bird boy and shove one of his feathered friends where the sun doesn't shine. Why didn't he tell me instead of letting me continue to act like a lovestruck fool?"

Unlike Takao who use to let his temper get the better of him, she took a deep breathe and calmed down after closing her eyes for a brief minute. "Feel better?" Takao inquired, hoping that he had changed the subject and she wouldn't mention Kai again. "Yes, I do," she admitted with a smirk, "well at least I know that my efforts weren't wasted. Personally I thinkwe both have too much anger and sexual tension built up. I think we both need the company of those we love."

"Nani!" Takao ask, choking on his own spit as his eyes nearly popped out of his head from the comment. "Don't tell me that you don't think about it?" she questioned as her arms crossed over her chest with an eyebrow raised in amusement, "you are a teen-age boy. Your hormones should be very active." "When do I have time for those kind of fantasies?" he mused, "I'm always too busy to think about my crush like that." "You don't dream about Kai," she remarked with a smirk plastered across her face, "I usually have those kind of dreams every other night about Brooklyn."

Takao was at a loss for words to reply to such a question. He definitely wasn't going to talk about such a subject with his older sister. He couldn't even discuss this with Hitoshi no less. A blush started from his ears that soon reached his cheeks and other parts of his face. Akane knew that he was embarrassed and decided to drop the subject. Besides it gave her an idea.

"Would you like to go out with me?" Akane suggested, "there is this club nearby that caters only to teens. They don't serve any alcoholic beverages and it might get your mind off of other matters for at least the evening." "What is the name of this place?" Takao inquired. "It's called Club Nightshade," she replied, "and I go there a lot when I have nothing to do. I have a life outside of beyblading unlike some of you."

"Is there a dress code?" he ask, not in the mood to decide on a different outfit. "Wear whatever you like," she shrugged, "I just go like I am dressed now. I don't care if I make an impression or not. I prefer being myself than someone I am not." "Sure why not," Takao replied with a shrug, "I have nothing better to do." "I'll meet you down in the lobby in fifteen minutes," she remarked, "I want to freshen up before I leave." She left as Takao decided to do the same.

He went back to his room and put on a clean set of clothes. He decided to stick with his black theme since it suited his current mood. The only difference in his attire from before was the saying on his t-shirt which read, 'I'm talented, you're not. Just deal with it!' It had been one he had chosen instead of something Akane had suggested. She had said it was too insulting but with his arrogance, it fit perfectly.

He pulled on his boots and added a silver dragon pendant and he was ready. He grabbed his wallet and went down to the lobby where he had to wait for Akane. She appeared several minutes later and he had noticed that she had changed her top. It was still pink but it was tight and showed off her flat stomach better. You could see the piercing clearly now.

They linked arms and left. "Why don't you ask Brooklyn to come along on one of these outings?" he questioned as they walked through the streets and got a few looks because of their celebrity status. "He prefers hanging with those who have wings," she remarked with a laugh, "or creatures that don't talk a lot. A club is not his style. I like to live a little and have fun that doesn't deal with just hanging around in the park. Mystel is similiar but Garland has come with me a few times when I was able to talk him into it. He's so intimidating that none of the other boys will ask me to dance so usually I come alone."

"Makes sense," Takao remarked, "but if you go alone, how do you keep them at bay?" "My martial arts training," she stated, "I did take karate lessons for eleven years with Ojiisan Masoe so I know how to defend myself. No male is going to take advantage of me without receiving pain first. I do have a black belt if you remember." "How well I know," Takao mused with a laugh, "I've seen you spare with Garland so I know that you are good."

"It comes in handy sometimes," she added with a shrug, "we are almost there." The club wasn't on a main street but down a side street. There was a big neon sign in green letters that flashed Club Nightshade. Akane opened the door and walked into a dark entrance hall as he followed.

The entrance hall lead into a dark room with just enough illumination to see the other occupants. There was only a few other teens gathered since it was still early in the afternoon as someone yelled a greeting to Akane, who waved back at the girl. He stuck close to his sister as she bypassed the tables, chairs and dance floor opting instead to go to the bar. "Akane," the bartender greeted, "nice to see you. Didn't think we'd be seeing you with your match coming up?"

"I just needed to get away for a while," she replied, "but I have all day tomorrow to practice. I'll have a cherry coke. Takao, do you want something to drink?" "And who is this?" the bartender ask, "is he your new boyfriend? I thought you had eyes only for that Brooklyn fellow." "This is my younger brother, Takao," she introduced, "Takao, this is Kazuo, the owner and bartender of Club Nightshade."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Takao replied with a short bow, "isn't it kind of dark in here?" "That is the way the customers like it," Kazuo stated as he placed Akane's order in front of her, "and I thought you looked familiar. For the former beyblade champion, all of your drinks are on the house. What will you have?" "A cherry coke with a touch of vanilla will suffice," he replied as another boy greeted Akane. It seemed like she had quite a few friends here and was soon on the floor dancing equally with both sexes. Takao sighed as he sat on his stool to watch and sipped at his drink.

He felt oddly at home in this dark place. No one seemed to notice who he was or mention his fame. It was quite enjoyable as the loud techno music turned to alternative and then to heavy metal and back again. He would have to keep this club in mind when he wanted to have some fun but for now he settled with just sitting on the stool and watching the other patrons. He didn't get his wish since Akane drug him out on the dance floor once for a dance with her. He heard her say something about not letting him sit on a bar stool and mope all night. He danced just to please her before he returned to his seat.

As the evening wore on, the club began to get more crowded and he began to get hit on by both sexes. One boy with green hair particularly seemed eager to dance with him as Takao blew him off at least four times. He was beginning to get irritated with the teen as he looked at his watch. It was nine-thirty and they needed to get back before Boris had a fit. He hated it when any of them broke curfew.

He pushed his way onto the crowded dance floor to find Akane dancing with a blond-haired boy that oddly reminded him of Max. "Takao," she snapped as he pulled her away, "what do you want?" "Look at the time," he stated. She gasp as she saw the clock and made apologies to the boy she had been dancing with. When she said good-bye, half the club answered her.

They hurried out into the night after a quick good-bye to Kazuo and walked back to BEGA headquarters. "I'm glad that you reminded me," she remarked as they walked briskly to the towering skyscraper, "I don't need to hear Boris' lecture about being late again. So did you have fun?" "It was kind of nice," he replied with a shrug. "Next time when someone offers a dance take it," she teased, "I saw you get hit on by at least a dozen people. There is no harm having a crush on one person and still dance with others."

"That boy with green hair would not leave me alone," he added, "I was getting irritated at him at his behavior." "I don't blame you there," Akane stated, "Gou can be a pain and he is a big flirt. He hits on both sexes so I have been in your shoes before. I learned just to ignore him or a kick in a certain area deters him after a while." She smirked as they both burst into laughter at the same moment.

They fortunately arrived five minutes before curfew. They didn't elude Boris' gaze since he was watching from the room over the lobby of the building. He didn't look too happy but there was nothing he could do since they were on time. They parted ways in the hall as they went to their rooms. Takao was not surprised to see that Mystel had not returned to their room yet. He was probably on the roof somewhere.

The next day was different than their previous evening since they were busy preparing for the last two matches. Takao helped Garland train for his upcoming match. Brooklyn who spent most of the day sleeping in a pile of leaves in the park came in after a while to battle against Akane to give Mystel a break. Garland wouldn't even stop for a break as he battled nearly every blader in the building before the day was over. His demand for perfection would allow no less.

Ming Ming was seen loitering about, signing autographs and talking with DJ Jazzman. At least she kept the fans and press away from them so they could practice. Takao was glad that she was being useful but she was still mad about losing in the qualifier. He couldn't believe the singer's arrogance however. He heard Akane snort from some of her remarks about G-Revolution's chances of winning. Even she wasn't so arrogant and certain about her odds of winning against the best that G-Revolutions had to offer.

He saw Boris watching them from the balcony above the training arena and he seemed pleased by their dedication. The chairman was certain that Garland would not have to blade in his match tomorrow. He was sure that Akane would finish the tournament in the fourth round and G-Revolutions would be gone forever. That was the plan at least. If all depended on whether fate and destiny agreed with them.

Takao just hoped that everyone didn't underestimate G-Revolutions like they had done with Max. He believed that it would all depend on who Kai had chosen to be their fifth blader. If he had found a worthy and skilled opponent, then there was a chance that both Garland and Akane would lose. He didn't believe that either of them was a match for Kai since he had been the main factor behind the Blitzkrieg Boyz winning the tournament. If they were overconfident, they would find themselves on the loosing side instead of G-Revolutions and Takao could only imagine Boris' reaction to that.

AS


	8. Victory Slips Away

Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I do not own it.

**Thank you to Minako Mikoto and bottlecaps for reviewing. **

To Minako Mikoto - I take it that you are not a Hillary fan. I am not fond of her either. I like her about as much as I like Ming Ming and Mariah. As you are about to find out, Hillary is definitely not the fourth blader for G-Revolutions. I hope you like who I did choose.

To bottlecaps - thank you for the review and the compliments. I thought Akane's remark was funny as well.

**Chapter Seven - Victory Slips Away**

Before Takao realized it, they were sitting on their bench in the stadium awaiting the arrival of G-Revolutions. He couldn't believe how calm and collected Akane was at such a pivotal moment. She was sitting with her legs crossed on the bench in a deep meditative state like Rei had been before his match with Brooklyn. Speaking of which, he couldn't believe that Brooklyn had joined them on the bench. He had figured that the ginger-haired blader would have prefered spending the day in the park somewhere since he had all ready won his battle.

He guessed that he was here to show his support for Akane. Takao didn't think he would have shown up for anyone else. That and he had heard about the argument the two had yesterday evening. Brooklyn had not been very happy with him since it had concerned the vision that he had shared with him. Takao had apologized to the older blader but he was still snubbing him since it had gotten him into trouble with his future girlfriend.

"It is Day 2 of the Justice 5 tournament," DJ Jazzman announced, "G-Revolutions is down two to zero and need to win today to draw even. Can they win against the best that BEGA has to offer? If not, their days of beyblading may be over. The question of the day is where is G-Revolutions? And who is their fifth blader?"

The bench on the other side of the stadium floor was empty. "Any thoughts on who Kai chose?" Garland ask as Takao opened his eyes from his brief moment of reflection. He looked toward the section in the stands where the other bladers were sitting but it gave him no clue to who would be blading. He saw someone in a pink hawaiian shirt, waving at him from where he was sitting next to Rick, who had been Max's partner in the world tournament. "Yo homeboy!" he was shouting over the cheering fans, "and homegirl!"

"Akane, we have a fan," he remarked with a tinge of laughter, "grandpa is here." Akane cracked open an eye and looked toward where he was motioning. She smiled brightly and waved back at him. "Is that your grandfather?" Brooklyn ask as his eyes turned to the elderly man. "He is our father's father," Takao replied, glad that he was on speaking terms with the master of Zeus again, "our maternal grandfather, Ojiisan Masoe, is too busy to come to the matches and he wouldn't act or dress like Grandpa Ryu."

"He seems to be quite the character," Brooklyn mused with a smile. "You don't know the half of it," Takao murmured so quietly that Brooklyn was the only one who heard and laughed from it. Their attention turned to the other side of the stadium since they could see movement from the tunnel. "Good Afternoon everyone, Brad Best with AJ Topper here," he said from the booth, "and I think Kai is making his way into the stadium." "That's right, Brad," AJ replied as Kai appeared with Rei, Max, Daichi, Kyoujyu, Hitoshi and Hiromi behind him, "but we still don't have a clue to who is going up against Akane."

"They still haven't chosen a fifth blader," Garland remarked since all they saw was the seven of them, "I guess you will be battling Kai, Akane." "Get ready boys and girls," DJ yelled, "the competition has arrived and Kai is in no mood to lose." "He doesn't look in the mood for anything," Brad remarked with a laugh, "but Boris seems to be in a very good mood." "Who can blame him?" AJ added, "his team has dominated G-Revolutions and is sending out their 1st and 4th ranked bladers today. He has a right to be in a good mood."

"I see that you finally made it," Akane remarked as she stood up, "can we just get this over with? I'm ready to battle" "Yes, I made it," Kai said, smugly, "but I am not the one you are going to be battling, Kinomiya. I have chosen our fifth blader." He pointed to the tunnel where only an outline of a figure could be seen at first. "Hokey Dinah!" Brad exclaimed as they recoginized him first, "I don't believe my eyes!"

"This is unreal!" DJ announced as the BEGA bladers took in a collective breathe. "This is an unexpected turn of events, Brad," AJ added as the stadium went silent, "Yuriy Ivanov was injuried during a previous demo match against Garland of the BEGA bladers. It seems that he has made a full recovery and is out for a bit of revenge." "I would have never expected Kai to choose his tag team partner," Brad continued, "and what a choice for G-Revolutions. They needed a fifth blader and they hit the jackpot with Yuriy."

"I see that you didn't learn your lesson the first time," Garland remarked as Yuriy growled and clenched his fist tightly. Takao for once in his life was speechless. He didn't think that Kai would choose Yuriy since their entire future was riding on the outcome of their first match of the day. He had lost to them once before and here he was again; ready to prove himself to the world. "The G-Revolutions have selected Yuriy as their fifth beyblader," DJ announced, "and according to Kai, Yuriy will be up against Akane in the fourth round."

"Well, let's go," Hiromi snapped, "or are all you BEGA brats too scared to finish the tournament?" "I would hold my tongue, Hiromi," Akane replied, cooly, "Yuriy is the one who lost to Garland before and you have no right to talk when you don't even know how to beyblade. Are you just their cheerleader because you don't seem capable of anything else?" Takao had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing outloud as Hiromi's eyes nearly bulged from her head. Rei and Max had to restrain her from coming to their bench and pummeling his older sister.

"I don't want to battle Akane, Garland," Yuriy snapped, his eyes burning with a fury, "It is you who I want." "It seems that Yuriy has laid down the gauntlet and challenged Garland to a rematch!" DJ shouted, "will the captain of Team BEGA take the challenge? We remember what happened the last time these two tangled and it wasn't at all pretty." "It is your choice, Garland," Akane stated, looking at their captain, "do you want to battle him or would you rather leave him to me?" "He won't blade anyone but me," Garland replied as he rose from the bench, "I guess it is time to teach him a lesson once and for all."

Round Four - Garland vs. Yuriy

G-Revolutions went to their bench as Yuriy walked up the steps to the platform. "Good luck, Garland," Takao commented, "I think you are going to need it." He was referring to the look on Yuriy's face since he looked as stubborn and determined as the three bladers had before him. "I don't need luck, Takao," Garland stated with a stern expression, "I am the number one ranked blader in BEGA. If I can't beat someone of Yuriy's skill and level, I don't deserve to be the captain of this team."

Garland walked to the platform as Takao's eyes narrowed. Akane sat back down on the bench and was urging Garland on to victory. "It looks like he will get all the glory instead of me," she remarked, then added, softly, "thank Kami." Only Takao heard that last remark as he turned to look at his sister to see a look of relief on her face. "Our first match of the day pits Garland of the BEGA bladers against Yuriy of G-Revolutions," DJ announced, "and what dish is worthy of such a battle?"

The platform retracted to reveal a miniature model of a Shaolin temple. "They will be blading in the Combat Temple," Brad said from the booth, "It is fashioned after the famous Shaolin temples in Tibet, where mind and spirit become one." "Oddly enough it reminds me of Garland," AJ remarked, "I sometimes wonder about these stadiums and if they have been made for each specific BEGA blader." "Well there is no rule against it," Brad added, "do you think it is a smart move for G-Revolutions to send out Yuriy for this battle? Is he fit and strong enough to blade against Garland after what happened to him during last month's demo match?"

"We all know that Yuriy is out for revenge for his first loss to Garland," AJ stated, "I too wonder if he is strong enough to battle but you have to figure that Kai knows something we do not." Takao's eyes darted to their bench to see several of the team was looking nervous with the exception of Kai and Hitoshi. They looked oddly at ease while the rest of G-Revolutions looked uptight. It was obvious that they hadn't all agreed on the blader for the fourth round. Hitoshi met his gaze and smirked slightly as Takao frowned. He was wondering what his big brother was up too.

"Are you ready?" DJ shouted, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" Their blades were launched into the stadium and the battle began. It started off as a repeat of their first clash as Yuriy went on the attack from the start. "Looks like someone got a new toy," Brooklyn remarked as their eyes turned to the vid screen. Yuriy's Wolborg had been destroyed in their first match and he too was using one of their new hard metal beyblades.

"Is that blade going to make any difference?" Akane ask, "Garland beat him before. None of their blades have given them an advantage in any of their matches so the outcome of this battle is going to be the same." It seemed that way to Takao but something about Yuriy wasn't adding up. Was he foolish enough to stick to his previous strategy and battle Garland like he had before? One of their hard metal beyblades wasn't going to make any difference if they were relying solely on it during the battle. They may have been powerful but not enough to actually win a match yet.

"Is that the best you can do, Yuriy?" Garland teased with a smirk as AJ and Brad commented on G-Revolution's obvious mistake of trusting Yuriy to battle in the fourth round, "you shouldn't have challenged me if you were only going to use your same old boring moves. Didn't you learn anything from our previous match?" Yuriy's teeth grind together as his brow furrowed in concentration. He didn't look the least bit affected by Garland's words. He still seemed confident about his chances at victory.

"This is boring," Akane remarked as she stifled a yawn. She had been around Brooklyn for so long that she was beginning to act like him. Takao didn't think the match was that. Sure it was all Garland so far but Yuriy seemed to be stronger than he had before. During the demo match, he had tired easily but now he seemed pumped full of adrenaline. This match was far from over.

"Apollon climb!" Garland ordered as his blade shot up the side of the temple and was spinning contently on the roof. Yuriy growled and ordered Wolborg to follow. Takao knew that it was a diversionary tactic by Garland to make the match more interesting but Yuriy surprised him. Wolborg went flying into the air and then slammed into the yellow beyblade. The force of the impact sent debris everywhere and sent Apollon flying onto another part of the roof. Even Garland let out a surprised breathe since Wolborg hadn't shown such power moments before.

"I've been anticipating this battle for a month, Garland," Yuriy stated with a slight smirk on his face, "I have trained hard for this rematch and improved my stamina. I am not going to let Boris win and control the sport that I love. I am going to keep the vow I made a month before and bring you down. I will beat you, Garland. Wolborg, Aurora Beam!" (A/N - Sorry, couldn't think of a good attack & I was playing pokemon moments before.)

A blast of icy air erupted from the stadium that was colder than the winds on the Siberian tundra. It engulfed Apollon as a brilliant flash of multicoloured light followed. Everyone thought the match was over but Apollon landed in the stadium and was still spinning. Takao saw the blade wobble slightly when it landed. That had been a very powerful attack and he knew then that there was more to come.

Then it all clicked in Takao's head. He now understood the power behind the HMS blades. They used a blader's emotions. The more powerful the emotion, the stronger the blade was. Yuriy was fueling Wolborg with his anger and rage.

Garland was powerful; one of the best that BEGA had to offer but he didn't have the beyblading spirit that Yuriy did. Takao knew then what would eventually happen. He tried to swallow but the spit was stuck in the middle of his throat. He heard Akane shouting encouragement to Garland who looked furious. Garland then went on the attack, using his training in the martial arts and kickboxing to attack his opponent.

Takao could only watch with fascination as Yuriy dodged some of the moves. He didn't take as many hits as he did before. He had to stifle a laugh since he recoginized some of them. It was obvious then that Yuriy had taken a few of Grandpa Ryu's kendo lessons. Yuriy's determination was inspiring as the BEGA bench was silent with awe. The G-Revolution bench was a different story since they were all standing and cheering with the exception of Kai and Hitoshi.

Takao didn't think that even Garland's family principles could save the youngest Tzebult now. Yuriy was possessed and Garland actually looked worried. One of his roundhouse kicks had little effect as Yuriy blocked the force of most of it. No wonder Hitoshi had smirked at him earlier. Yuriy was performing magnificiently and getting the crowd on his side. If he fell down, he simply got back up again. Nothing could keep him down and Takao could tell by Garland's stance that he was getting frustrated with the Russian.

Apollon had regained some of his strength as the ballet had to end. "I tire of this game, Yuriy," Garland stated, coldly as he began to glow red, "I think it is time to end this. Apollon, Radiant Thunder!" "Wolborg, Aurora Beam!" Yuriy countered as the white wolf emerged. Both of attacks struck at the same time, creating a bright light that blinded everyone in the stadium.

Like in Brooklyn's match with Rei earlier, everyone tried to shield their eyes. Takao kept an eye on the dish because he wanted to see the outcome. His eyes finally adjusted to the light to see that both Yuriy and Garland were standing on their prospective platforms awaiting the outcome just like everyone else. The light got brighter but then the sound of one beyblade smashing into another alerted him to what was happening in the dish. Apollon struck Wolborg and by using the last bit of his strength, Yuriy managed to repel the yellow blade.

Apollon went flying from the dish and landed near Takao's foot as everyone's mouth had nearly dropped to the floor on BEGA's bench. Even Brooklyn looked surprised by the outcome. "Unbelievable!" Brad shouted, "Apollon has been knocked clear out of the dish!" "It's all over!" DJ announced, "Yuriy has won the battle!" "What an incredible win for Kai's team," AJ added.

"Yes, this is a major upset for the BEGA bladers!" Brad added, "Yuriy against all odds beat Garland, who was ranked as the best blader in the BEGA organization. This is incredible! I have never seen such a comeback in my entire life! It makes you wonder what the next match is going to be like!" Yuriy held out his hand as Wolborg returned to it.

He walked down the steps to be swamped by Rei, Max, Hiromi, Daichi and Kyoujyu. Kai and Hitoshi had remained on the bench. Kai's mask of indifference was on his face but Hitoshi was smirking at them. Takao frowned as he heard Akane gasp. "Garland lost?" she remarked, softly, "how did that happen?"

Takao didn't know what to say as Garland walked down the steps and came toward them. He had lost to someone he had brutally beaten before. Garland didn't look at anyone as his eyes focused upon Apollon. He bent down to pick up the beyblade, sighed sadly and then headed to the hallway without a word to anyone. "That was incredible," Mystel remarked after he had left and the fans were celebrating Yuriy's victory, "I didn't think that Garland could lose."

Takao noticed that Boris had disappeared from his seat as well. His stomach did backflips when he thought about his reaction to the loss. He had wanted G-Revolutions to make it more interesting but he hadn't wanted them to win like this. Yuriy's win had probably inspired Kai as Takao glanced at his sister. Akane was pale as death and looked as sick as he felt.

"I can't believe that Garland lost," Akane murmured as they stood or sat in the locker room. She had been calm before the fourth match but now that the whole tournament was riding on her shoulders, she was terrified. If she lost, Boris would put all the blame on her. "Akane, calm down," Takao suggested, "you are getting worked up over nothing. Just relax please."

"Are you telling me to relax?" she snapped, her eyes glowing with anger, "In fifteen minutes, I am going to be facing Kai and you are telling me to simply relax!" She started to pace again and mumbling to herself. "There is no way that I will win," she murmured as she shook her head no, "what in the world was I thinking? Garland was suppose to battle Kai; not me. I can't accomplish what is expected of me."

"Do you think I should slap her?" Takao ask as he looked at his older sister, "that might bring her back to her senses." "I don't know if anything would work now," Brooklyn admitted with his own shrug, "but even I was surprised by Garland's loss. It was quite unexpected." They hadn't seen Garland since he had been called to Boris' office after his battle. Takao knew that Boris was not happy about this development.

Speaking of which, Garland entered the room at that precise moment. "Akane," he stated, "BEGA's victory now rests on your shoulders." "I know," she replied, softly and with an uneasy sigh. "How was your meeting with Boris?" Takao inquired with interest and wanting to see if his hunch was right. "Let's just say that he is not in a good mood," Garland replied, darkly, "I don't even want to think about what will happen if Akane somehow loses. It's all up to you."

"Don't remind me," she ranted, "I'm under enough pressure as is. This isn't fair. Takao should be the one battling Kai; not me. Why did I have to agree to this? Why did I want to compete? BEGA's entire future is on my shoulders."

Garland's face hardened from her hysteria. Unlike Takao, Brooklyn and Mystel, who hadn't wanted to touch her, he didn't have a problem with it. The resounding slap was so loud that you probably heard it all the way to Boris' office. Akane put a hand to her red cheek and her eyes narrowed at Garland. "You are a BEGA blader," he stated, simply, "behave like one; not like some hysterical fangirl. If you weren't capable of challenging Kai, you wouldn't be here. It's that simple and you don't see me lamenting over my loss."

The room went silent as the three boys on the sofa looked at their captain and teammate. They expected Akane to yell at Garland for the action but she did not. She lowered her head with a sigh. "I know what I have to do," she stated, softly, "I will try my best." "That is all I ask," Garland added with a smile, "you can do it, Akane. Just believe in yourself for me."

He tenderly stroked her uninjuried cheek as Takao heard a growl eminent from Brooklyn's throat. His eyes were locked on the two and Takao recoginized the look of possessiveness in his eyes. "I am not interested in her in that way, Brooklyn," Garland reminded, snapping Akane out of her revelry, "she is a good friend; nothing more." It was obvious that he too had overheard the argument of the previous evening. "I am not a piece of property that you own," Akane snapped with a smile so they all knew she was teasing. It seemed that Brooklyn was finally responding to her affection for him. All the other three boys could think as the two looked intently at each other was_ 'it is about time!'_

Round Five - Akane vs. Kai

Takao found himself swallowing nervously as they returned to the stadium. Everyone on the BEGA bench was nervous about the upcoming match since they knew it was going to be quite intense. As they sat down, Takao saw Akane's eyes drift toward Boris' seat. The chairman's gaze was a mixture of badly concealed anger and fury. Akane swallowed nervously as Takao put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She turned to him with a nervous smile. The red mark that now marred her fair features was definitely going to leave a bruise. It had been the only way to calm her when she had nearly gotten hysterical in the locker room. "It is time for the final match of the Justice 5 tournament!" DJ greeted, "will Akane be able to finish this tournament as it started off with a win like her brother and bring the ultimate victory to the BEGA league? Or will Kai show the world what a true champion is made of?"

"Kai is a veteran when it comes to beyblading," AJ continued, "but the BEGA bladers have proven that they are definitely not pushovers. Not much is known about the older sister of former world champion Takao but I hear that she is one wicked blader when in the beydish. She is ranked fourth in the BEGA standings but is a virtual unknown. I'm looking forward to seeing how she handles the power and skill of the current world champion. Where did Boris find all of these sensational bladers?"

"Well if she is anything like some of the others," Brad remarked, "then we are in for a exciting final match today, folks. Your eyes had not better leave your television sets since there is going to be war on the stadium floor." Akane's eyes nervously looked toward Kai, who stepped forward from the other side of the platform. Akane jumped up from the bench as she secured her launcher on her arm. "I wish you the best of luck," Takao remarked as she smiled weakly and strode to the beydish and thought, _"you are definitely going to need it."_

"And here is the dish," DJ Jazzman stated as the floor disappeared to reveal the beystadium, "this one is called Mount Olympus. The high mountain peak with the ruins gives us a glimpse of what the true Olympus may have looked like. The forest below the sacred mountain is dense and treacherous. This is one tricky dish." "DJ has nailed it right on the head, AJ," Brad offered as the two combatants stepped onto their platforms, "speed and power is not going to matter with this dish. It is going to come down to maneuvering, technique and being able to turn on a dime. This is got to be the toughest stadium that I have ever laid my eyes on."

"What was Boris smoking when they designed that dish?" Takao mused with an astonished sigh, "there is absolutely no room to maneuver in it." "He created that dish especially for Akane," Garland informed, "her evasive skills are superior to everyone else's. She'll be able to handle the dish. She will be able to dance around the trees with no problem. That is her specialty."

Kai did not look at all happy with the dish but masked his emotions. Akane smiled as she put her blade in the launcher. "Are we ready?" DJ ask as the two nodded, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" The two blades went flying as Akane's landed on the top of the mountain. It was sitting on top of a structure that reminded everyone of the Parthenon in Athens.

Dranzer had landed in a small clearing in the trees and spun perfectly in place. "Don't you want to play, Hiwatari?" Akane teased, having regained some of her former confidence, "or are you too scared to face a true god?" "You BEGA brats talk too much," Kai snapped as he gave her a cold glare, "I didn't come here to talk but to battle. Dranzer attack!" His beyblade emerged from the trees to scale the mountain where Akane was just sitting in place.

Dranzer MS picked up speed during his ascent and flew into the air. It seemed that Kai was going to try to dive bomb Akane as his descent made Dranzer spin even faster. Before you knew it, Dranzer slammed into the temple as the debris scattered. Many thought he had hit his mark but Takao had seen Akane move her blade at the last possible moment. She wouldn't be pile drived so easily.

Kai growled in annoyance since he had knew that he missed. Akane's blade appeared on the ground in front of the temple as Dranzer broke free from the debris and darted toward her. Her blade easily evaded the other and continued to dodge like Brooklyn had done in the qualifier. Takao had to give his sister credit, she was good at evasion and turning. He had never seen anyone move their blade so fast in response to their opponent's move.

Her blade danced around the temple ruins and trees with little problem. Kai wasn't as light on his feet since his blade brought several of the trees down upon the two of them. "I have never seen her battle so well," Takao murmured with awe as Brooklyn's attention turned to him, "she is a great blader." "You haven't seen anything yet, Takao," Garland added with a smirk, "she has yet to call out her bit beast or one of her special attacks. I don't think you have seen her blade used to its full potential. She only used a minimal amount of her power at the qualifying tournament."

Takao wasn't as certain of Akane's victory like Garland. Sure she was quite quick and strong but something was missing from her blading style. He saw Brooklyn's brow furrow as he watched. He wondered what the ginger-hair was thinking as he looked toward their teammate. This battle was going to be a lengthy one if their performance so far was any indication.

"May I inquire what you are thinking?" he ask as the ginger-hair turned toward him, "have you had a vision of this battle?" "I have," Brooklyn admitted, quietly, "but for some odd reason it is gone. I thought for certain that Akane would win but there is something about Kai that is making me doubt my assumption." "He knows that he has to win or it is over," Takao noted, "they don't have another option. He is fighting with a passion that I haven't seen before. He is so focused."

"I know," Brooklyn admitted with a sigh, "I'm kind of glad that I bladed in the second round. I don't know if even I could win against Kai and I have never been beaten." There was a loud explosion from the beydish as Akane's blade had slammed Dranzer into one of the buildings. Takao felt the floor beneath them shake slightly. "Just how powerful is she?" he wondered as his eyes turned to a very confident Akane.

Kai was stronger and Takao knew it had to do with his hard metal beyblade but his attacks were useless against Akane if he couldn't hit her. Her speed was almost as fast as Rei's Driger MS had been during his own battle but speed had not fared too well against the master of games. Takao took a moment to look at G-Revolution's bench. Only Yuriy and Hitoshi seemed calm about Kai's skill and power while the other five appeared to be on pins and needles. They kept saying something to Kai, who simply ignored them and focused his attention on the match.

Takao was half-hoping that Kai did win. He certainly deserved too after Yuriy had pulled off such a spectacular upset over Garland. If that happened, they would tie and the matter would still be unresolved. Then it would probably go to one final match where the winner took all. The ground shook again as another of the buildings was reduced to rubble by one of Akane's slams.

It seemed that as the match progressed, she was getting more confident. Takao hoped that she didn't get too cocky and concentrated on the battle. If her attention slipped, it was questionable if she would win. "I thought you were the world champion," she teased as Takao groaned. Making Kai even more angry was not very bright. He would simply come at her with even more power.

Takao was about to jump up and tell Akane to shut up but was pulled down by Brooklyn, who shook his head no. "She has to do this her way," he reminded, "if she is destined to lose, there is nothing that we can do about it." Takao was about to ask the youth what he meant by that but Kai growled in frustration and anger and started to glow. Takao swallowed nervously as he watched Kai regain his strength and passion. "I will not let you win!" he shouted, "BEGA has to be taken down! I will not let Boris control the sport that I love!"

"Whatever happened to the quiet, sulky Kai?" Takao mused as his eyes sparkled with amusement, "I could irritate him to no end and not a word would pass those lips of his except his trademark 'hmph'. I think I prefer the old sullen Kai to the new improved one." His eyes were focused on the captain of G-Revolutions who was now on equal footing with his sister since he had gotten use to the dish. He was fighting back and they seemed to be drawing even. The dish was being destroyed by their attacks on each other.

Akane would slam Kai's blade and he would return the attack with one of his own. The longer this battle wore on, the more uncertain Takao was about his sister's chances at giving BEGA the victory. It was like Kai was toying with her. Dranzer sent Akane's blade flying that it nearly left the dish. It hit the platform she was standing on and bounced back onto the dirt of the forest floor. Akane frowned and glared from the move as Kai had a slight smirk on his face.

Takao was surprised to see that she was losing her temper. She never lost her temper and often chastised him for behaving in such a way. "I tire of this game," she growled with frustration as her blade shot forward and slammed Dranzer back toward Kai, "why are you so intent on winning?" His blade hit the platform he was standing on as well as his crimson orbs were burning with an intensity that Takao had never seen. He thought he could actually see flames blazing within them.

"I have to win this match!" Kai shouted, "because beyblading means more to me than you will ever understand! Most of you have the power and skill to compete but not the spirit! You care more about money and sponserships than you do the sport itself." "How do you know how I feel?" Akane demanded, "I care about the sport just as much as you. I want to see it taken to the next level and that is what Boris has done."

"He can't be trusted," Kai snapped, "and I know that for a fact." Kai began to glow red and gold as Takao held his breathe. It seemed like that he was about to call out his bit beast. "Dranzer Attack!" he yelled as the blade shot forward and struck Akane's black and silver blade with such force that it sent it skyward. He was surprised that Akane didn't look upset by what had just happened. In fact, why was she smiling?

"What the-?" Takao began as Akane chuckled lightly. "Not bad," she replied with a smile, "so you want to pit fire against fire? That is fine by me. Ares, I summon you forth!" It was like her blade stopped in mid-air as a neigh could be heard coming from it. The bit chip lit up as her bit beast emerged.

Takao was speechless since he had never seen him before. Like the teammates, her bit beast came from Greek mythology. Brooklyn possessed Zeus, the King of the Gods. Garland had Apollon, the God of Light & Truth. Mystel had Poseidon, the Lord of the Sea. Ming Ming had Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and it seemed that Akane had control of the God of War.

When her bit beast emerged so did Dranzer in all of her glory. If Takao thought Zeus had been frightening, he didn't know what to consider Ares. His sister's bit beast was a black pegasus with a silver mane, a horn like that of a unicorn and the tail of a serpent ready to strike. Instead of having a normal saddle and bridle, his was armor and his coat had blood splattered all over it that glistened in the light. His eyes were burning red with fire as he stood off against the fiery phoenix.

Kai was still glowing the colours of his bit beast as Akane was now glowing silver. "It looks like this match is about to come to an end," DJ yelled as Brad and AJ were remarking something from the booth. Takao couldn't hear what they were saying since the noise from the match was drowning them out. "Dranzer, Spiral Fireball!" Kai ordered as his beyblade began to glow red and gold. It then shot forward as Akane yelled, "Ares, Flames of Fury!"

The resounding impact shook the entire stadium and blinded everyone. A dust cloud emerged from the dish as the two forces of nature fought one another with an intensity that Takao had never seen from either of them. Both of them wanted to win at all cost and the battle had been spectacular. When the light dimmed, both Kai and Akane were still standing on their respective platform eyeing the other. A small smile graced Akane's lips as the two bit beasts returned to their blades and collided one last time in mid-air.

Takao watched as Akane's blade was thrown from the dish and landed in front of Garland. She didn't seem upset by her loss as Dranzer landed in the stadium. "Akane's blade is out!" DJ announced, "Kai is the winner of the final match. The tournament is now tied!" "What an unbelievable match!" AJ added, "that was one heck of a battle. Both of the bladers should be proud by the way they fought today. The crowd loved it!"

Akane turned away from the dish and started to walk down the steps as the crowd cheered Kai. "Kinomiya," Kai called from across the dish where G-Revolutions were celebrating in a very undiginified way. Akane turned back to the world champion, who had a small smile on his face. "You fought well," he remarked as Takao's jaw nearly dropped from the compliment, "maybe we can battle again sometime." "I would like that," she replied as the smile returned to her face.

Kai nodded his head and walked down the steps to be glomped by his teammates. Akane walked slowly down the steps and faced Garland first. "You fought as well as any of us," he remarked, handing Ares back to her, "we are proud of the way you battled." "I just wish I had won," she muttered, "I knew that he was going to win when both of our bit beasts were called out but I poured everything into Ares that I had. I can only imagine what Boris' reaction will be."

From the mention of his name, Takao's eyes darted to his chair. Boris definitely wasn't happy but was concealling his rage pretty well. He wouldn't show it in a stadium in front of a crowd of fans but he had a feeling that they would be hearing from him very soon. He dreaded the thought of facing the chairman. He had been nice to them so far with only mild harsh remarks but he had a feeling that the 'old' Boris was going to return. The others were about to see the true face of Boris Balkov and he wondered if his teammates would think so highly of him after then.

AS


	9. The Price of Failure

Disclaimer - As stated before, if you recoginize it, then I do not own it.

**Thank you to Minako Mikoto, darkevolutiontyson & kicking-S-ass for reviewing. I'm glad that you are enjoying this. All of you are on right on track. There will be an epic showdown b/t Kai & Takao in the next chapter. I had it planned from the beginning. Now, this chapter is just a filler for the match in the next one. I hope that you all like it.**

**To FlamesOfFury - Thank you so much for reading & reviewing this story as well. I apologize for the spelling mistakes. I can read over my chapters 10x & still find them. I guess I need a beta reader. I'm glad that you liked Ares' attack. It was the only thing I could think of when I got to that part & it fit him. I was thinking 'I hope FlamesOfFury doesn't mind that I use his name'. It is so hard to come up w/h original attacks & bit beasts since I don't want to copy another author's.**

**Chapter Eight - The Price of Failure**

Shortly after the last match of the day, Boris announced that there would be one last match to decide the outcome of the tournament. A winner take all battle if you will. The BEGA team had expected it as had G-Revolutions. Now it was time to decide who would blade in the final match but before they could decide, the five teens had been called to Boris' office. None of them, even those who had won, had looked forward to that meeting.

To say that Boris Balkov was furious was an understatement. The five teens in his office shuddered from the rage in his voice. "ALL OF YOU ARE WORTHLESS!" he spat, sending a stack of papers to the floor with an angry swat of his hand, "none of you are even worth the effort to train. Why did you even join BEGA if you can't win a simple match?" His eyes were mainly focused on Akane, Garland and Mystel, who looked surprised by his change of attitude.

Takao had figured he would react like this. If they lost this tournament, Boris was set to lose everything he had worked hard for. He had done his part and won his battle but three of his teammates had been unable to finish the job. Mystel's tie had been fine at first but since Garland had lost to Yuriy and then Akane had fallen to Kai, they too fell under the director's furious gaze. "I handpicked you to be the best beyblade team in the world," he continued to rant, "you were suppose to be the strongest that BEGA had to offer but you are just losers that aren't even worthy of handling a beyblade. NOW, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

The teens sprinted for the door but he called one of them back. "Takao, I need a word with you," he stated as Takao gulped. The other four shot him a sympathic look before they darted out the door. "With Akane's loss," Boris snapped, his eyes focused on the teen before him, "it means that we are tied. There will be one final match to settle the dispute and I want you to represent BEGA in it."

"Why me, sir?" Takao ask, "Brooklyn is also capable of battling against Kai since that is who G-Revolutions is likely to pick to represent them. He might be the better blader for this-" "I do not want Brooklyn to be burdened with such a responsibility," Boris continued, "what he has in ability and talent; he lacks somewhat in spirit; even though Rei did teach him a valuable lesson during their beybattle. I need someone who can fight Kai on an even playing field. You are the only BEGA blader who has the necessary skill and spirit to defeat Kai. I want you to blade in the final match."

Takao gulped nervously but knew that he did have a point. He guessed that he would have to apologize to Brooklyn after all. He had thought his vision about he and Kai's battle had been wrong since he had figured that they would win. After witnessing Akane and Garland's defeats, his mind had changed. He knew that he was the only blader for the task. Boris trusted him to get the job done and he would have to do it. Besides, isn't this what he joined BEGA for?

"I will do as you wish, sir," he replied, "I will finish the job that my teammates could not." "Very well," Boris remarked, calming a little as his attention turned to his phone, "I am counting on you. You are dismissed and I suggest that you prepare yourself for this match." "As you wish," Takao replied as he bowed and then left the room. He wondered why Boris was requesting to see Ming Ming and Moses but pushed the thought aside for the moment. He had more on his mind than Boris' plotting.

"He chose you to represent us for the final match," Akane remarked from the shadowy hallway as he closed the door to Boris' office, "am I right?" He looked toward her to see three of his four teammates standing in the corridor. They had waited for him and for that he was grateful. "I will battle in the final match against Kai," he stated, "but I need to practice. Will you help me prepare for it?"

"Certainly," Akane offered as they walked away, "but I have never seen Boris that angry before. We did our best so why can't he understand that?" "He will lose everything if G-Revolutions wins this tournament," Garland informed, darkly, "I guess he has every right to be angry. We did fail him after all. I not only let him but my family down as well."

They followed Takao into a private training room that was only for their use. There were some advantages to being the top bladers in BEGA and this was one of them. "Who wants to battle first?" Garland inquired. "I have a better idea," Takao remarked with a smile, "I challenge the three of you to a simultaneous beybattle." He smirked as Brooklyn, Akane and Garland exchanged a look with one another.

"If that is what you wish," Garland remarked with a shrug at they prepared their launchers and blades, "it's your funeral." "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" they shouted together as their blades landed in the dish. In a normal situation, Takao would have been afraid to battle three other top ranked players with such odds but this situation wasn't normal. They hadn't trained together like the other teams had for the world championships. They didn't know what it was like to work together as a team. They bladed as individuals or so he had hoped and thought.

Garland was the first to attack as Akane and Brooklyn held back. Their blades began to saw away at one another. Garland wasn't holding back his power either but Takao held his own against the avatar of Apollon. He was surprised when he noticed the two black blades coming at him from opposite sides. It seemed that Garland was only holding him in place as his teammates attacked. It was obvious that he didn't know everything about them as he thought he did.

He managed to move Dragoon in time as the three blades collided and were sent bouncing around the dish. "You saw right through our attack," Garland added, "I'm impressed." "I didn't expect the three of you to know what teamwork was," Takao admitted, "I always thought you bladed individually." "If you had spent as much time together as we have," Akane informed, "You get tired of the same old one-on-one beybattles. We had to come up with something more interesting during all of those evenings of boredom."

"I learned to battle with Mystel," Garland stated, "while Akane teamed up with Brooklyn. Moses often worked with Ming Ming so we all had partners." "And usually we were the only team left standing," Akane added with a smile toward her partner, "but it was because of Brooklyn and not me." "It seems that there is still a lot that I don't know about all of you," Takao remarked, "but your teamwork is not going to be enough to defeat me. Go Dragoon!"

A few minutes later found both Garland and Akane's blades thrown out of the dish and only Brooklyn still battling. Takao found out how his sister and captain felt as Dragoon was violently thrown from the dish from one of Brooklyn's slams into a wall. It left an impact crater as Brooklyn stood there smirking and then laughed lightheartedly. "Let's try that again," Takao stated with a renewed determination, "just you and me, pal." "That is fine by me," Brooklyn replied as he took Zeus back to relaunch.

They launched their blades again as Garland and Akane stood back to watch. "Remind me why the two of us were needed again?" Akane ask after Brooklyn had beaten Takao again five minutes later. Takao was determined to win a battle as he grabbed Dragoon to launch. "You need to clear your head," Brooklyn suggested, "and not overthink your moves. That is why you are losing."

(A/N - Sorry to interrupt but I have to divert the story away from Takao for a few paragraphs to make the next part work. I need to focus on Mystel, Garland & Akane a bit.)

Akane got tired of watching each additional rematch and decided to get something to drink. She had just walked out into the hallway when she saw Mystel hanging upside down on the outside of the building tapping on the glass. She motioned toward a balcony that was nearby as he shook his head and disappeared. Whatever he wanted must have been serious from the expression on his face and the way that he had mouthed Garland's name. She decided to get her team captain since he had been ask specifically for as she opened the door to the training room. Brooklyn and Takao were both absorbed in their beybattle that they didn't notice her motioning to Garland, who was standing against the wall.

He looked interested as she motioned for him to come out into the hallway and fortunately Brooklyn or Takao didn't see them. When she glared at him, he finally got the point and came to the door. He didn't have time to ask a question as she drug him to the balcony where Mystel was waiting. "Garland, we have a problem," he stated, "I was outside enjoying the night and just happened to be near Boris' office when I overheard a conversation that I wish I hadn't." "What is wrong, Mystel?" he ask with concern.

"After we left, Boris sent for Ming Ming and Moses," Mystel explained, "he ordered them to pay Kai a visit but make it seem like he hadn't sent them. They didn't want to go but he blackmailed them. He is intent on making certain that Kai won't be able to blade in the final match." "Why would Boris send them after Kai?" Akane ask, "doesn't he have faith in my brother? Takao is sure to win the last match and there is no need to cheat."

"We have to stop them," Garland stated as he ran back to the door. "What about Takao and Brooklyn?" Akane ask as she followed but Mystel leaped over the railing and would meet them at the front doors. "There is no need to involve either of them in this," Garland reassured, "Takao has enough to worry about. The three of us are more than capable of stopping them. Do you know where G-Revolutions would be staying?" "Follow me," Akane instructed with a smirk, "I know exactly where they would stay."

Fortunately, BEGA headquarters was not far from the suburb where the Kinomiya clan lived. They managed to run or bounce to the dojo. Akane was winded by the time she reached the block where her grandfather lived. She vowed to start exercising more since she had been neglecting her martial arts training in favor of practicing her beyblading. She would remedy that after this tournament was over.

Both Mystel and Garland stopped for a moment to give her a breather when they heard Akane weezing. "I hate you," she murmured as Mystel smiled but they heard shouts coming from the dojo, "but this has to wait, let's go." Mystel bounced over the gate as they heard several of the rebel bladers trying to reason with Ming Ming and Moses. The gate was locked so she was forced to follow Garland over the fence. Of course, she didn't have the agility or strength to follow as Garland stood on it and smirked. He had to lend her a hand as she grabbed it with gratitude. When she was up, Garland jumped down and ran to the duo.

"Moses, Ming Ming, pack it in!" he ordered but the two bladers weren't listening. "We can't!" Ming Ming protested, "we promised Boris!" Akane looked at the two and even though she wasn't fond of Ming Ming, there was no way that she would allow this to happen. "Moses, Ming Ming, stop this nonsense now!" she shouted. The two backed off their attacks just as Lei and Rick were thrown aside and Kai was left vunerable. They had been protecting Kai as her brother's former friends watched the scene intently. They hadn't thought that a member of BEGA would come and defend them from their own.

"I can't," Moses cried, "I can't do it." He fell to his knees and hit the ground with his fists as Akane sighed with relief and collapsed to the ground from her run. "You did the right thing, Moses," Garland reassured as he put a hand on the crying man's shoulder. "But what do we tell Boris?" Moses ask, inbetween tears, "I made a promise to him." "We tell him the truth," Akane reassured as Mystel jumped down from his perch, "there is no way that I will allow cheating. Besides, his reaction can't be much worse that what happened earlier."

"I have a feeling that he would find the truth out anyway," Garland added as he looked toward the bladers gathered on the porch, "I apologize that this had to go this far." "Boris will pay for all damages," Akane stated, "I will make certain of it." "Akane wait," Hitoshi called as she turned back to face her older brother, "can I talk to you for a minute?" "Sure," she replied as they walked away together for a moment of privacy. Mystel stepped forward to offer Grandpa Ryu a hand out of the hole that he was stuck in from where the porch had collasped.

Garland was talking quietly to Ming Ming and Moses as Mystel joined them after briefly talking to the elder Kinomiya and Rei. Everyone was quiet and uncertain of what to say to one another from what had just happened. The rebels didn't trust the BEGA bladers and the BEGAs were uncertain of how the rebels would treat them. A few minutes later, Akane returned to her teammates and grabbed Moses' arm. Their conversation must have been satisfactory since both Hitoshi and Akane were smiling by whatever had been said.

"Let's go," she stated as Garland led Ming Ming by the arm out of the dojo as she continued to apologize for her actions. Moses was still crying and upset as Akane and Mystel led him away. They didn't hear the conversation that followed. "I suggest that you watch your back during your next battle, Kai," Hitoshi warned, "Takao has been chosen to blade in the final match and he is training as we speak." "This is the battle that I have been waiting two years for," Kai remarked with a smirk, "this is the battle that I wanted at the world championships but was denied because of his cowardly action."

Hitoshi was going to defend his little brother but Grandpa Ryu nodded his head no. "Unlike you, I have talked to the little dude," he informed, glaring at Kai, "and I understand why he left. Don't judge Takao until you hear his side of the story. Takao may be a member of BEGA but he hasn't changed. He's still the same boy you were teammates with for two years. He just had some issues that he couldn't deal with on his own and Boris was there to take advantage of him during a moment of weakness."

Akane and Garland were both furious when they returned to BEGA headquarters. Neither of them was going to allow Boris to attack their teammates as they departed ways in the lobby. They sent Ming Ming and Moses back to their rooms while Mystel decided to check on Takao's training. The three had agreed to keep this to themselves for the moment. That just left the two of them to confront Boris over the incident. Neither Akane or Garland were in a forgiving mood as they stalked to the chairman's office.

If they had been upset about Boris' treatment before, they were even more enraged now. They were beginning to understand why the Blitzkrieg Boyz would not join BEGA. They had half a mind to abandon Boris to his own plotting and take the other top bladers with them back to Mr. Dickerson and the BBA but that wouldn't solve anything. He would just recruit other bladers to take their place but his scheming was about to stop. Boris was about to receive a taste of his own medicine.

Mystel entered the training room to see both Brooklyn and Takao's blades leave the stadium at the same time. It seemed that Takao had improved since they had left. He was now drawing even with the king of games. "Mystel," Brooklyn called out, "would you like to take over for a while? I am getting a little bored."

"Where have you been?" Takao ask with curiosity, "have you seen Garland or Akane? One moment they were here with us and the next they were gone." "They had to go and talk to Boris," Mystel explained, putting on the best smile that he could muster under the circumstances, "they should return in a few minutes." He must have fooled Takao since he turned back to the dish but Brooklyn gave him a calculating look like he knew something had happened. He shook his head no since he had promised the others that he wouldn't tell Takao as he took Brooklyn's place on the other side of the dish.

Brooklyn stood off to the side waiting for them to return and watched the match with little interest. He knew something had happened; although he didn't know what it had been. Ten minutes later as Mystel and Takao were still battling, both Garland and Akane returned. Both of them looked as though they had been sucking on lemons from their sour expressions. It was a good thing that Takao's back had been turned or he would have seen the looks of disgust on their faces that were masked quickly.

"We need to talk," Akane whispered to Brooklyn as he nodded and left with her. That just left Garland and Mystel with Takao. Takao noticed that Garland had returned when he launched Apollon into the dish. The former world champ grinned from ear-to-ear from the challenge. A few minutes later, both Apollon and Poseidon were thrown from the dish, leaving Dragoon spinning perfectly in place.

"You will be unstoppable in the final match," Mystel complimented with a smile, "I wouldn't want to be in Kai's shoes." "Well, I have been training for this battle," he remarked, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a swipe of his sleeve, "I knew that it would one day come down to me and Kai eventually. I've been preparing myself for it." He looked around but saw the room was empty except for the three of them. "Where is Akane and Brooklyn?" he questioned as the two shrugged.

"She came in with me," Garland replied with a sigh, "but she left with Brooklyn. Takao, there is something we need to discuss and we are not sure of how to tell you this." Takao's eyes narrowed from the look on Garland's face as he wondered what could cause his captain to look totally disgusted. Even Mystel was not his bubbly self. "Does this have something to do with your disappearance before?" Takao ask as they both nodded.

"Yes, it does," Garland began, "Mystel overheard an interesting conversation after you left Boris' office. He wasn't eavesdropping on purpose but just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Boris summoned Ming Ming and Moses to his office." "Yeah, I know," he replied, "he was calling for them as I left." "Do you know why he wanted to see them?" Garland ask with interest.

"I wasn't really concerned with what he wanted them for," Takao replied with a shrug, "I thought he might be up to something but I had other matters on my mind." "I'm not one to beat around the bush, Takao," Garland stated, "He sent them after Kai to prevent him from battling in the tie-breaking match against you." "That would ensure his victory," Takao whispered as his fist clenched and his nails dug into the palm of his hand. He growled in frustration as both Garland and Mystel looked ready to subdue him if he decided to pay Boris a visit. "We have all ready confronted him," Garland reassured, "Akane and I discussed the matter with him on our return. He may not agree with our convictions but he will listen to our terms. If not, all of the top bladers will leave BEGA and he does not want that to happen."

"I think I have practiced enough for the moment," Takao remarked as he pocketed Dragoon, "I'll be back shortly and don't worry, I am not going anywhere near Boris' office." He stalked from the room, intent on finding his sister. Akane always told him the truth since she appreciated honesty like he did and he had a feeling that Garland was leaving something out. He walked around for about fifteen minutes and was no closer to finding her than when he first started. She wasn't in the cafeteria or in any of the training rooms.

He decided to check her room before he went to the park so he headed toward the dorms. Since there weren't as many girl bladers, all of them got their own room. When he reached hers, he held up his hand to knock but heard a noise inside that made him back away from the door. It seemed that she and Brooklyn were quite busy with one another. His face paled from the moans coming from her room that sounded suscipiously like his ginger-haired friend.

Takao had to hide a grin since he hadn't expected the two to jump each other so soon. He braced himself for the coming tempest as he held up his hand and knocked really loud. The noises stopped and if he had pressed his ear to the door, he would have heard soft cursing and the sound of someone throwing on some clothing. He heard the door unlock as it opened a crack to reveal Akane, whose fury faded when she saw it was Takao. "We need to talk," he said, simply, pushing the door open, "I hope that Brooklyn is dressed."

Takao pushed himself inside to find Brooklyn sitting on her bed with only his pants still on. Takao blushed since Brooklyn caught him staring at his pale chest. Takao wasn't thinking about him but remembering what a certain dual-hair looked like without his shirt. Obviously they hadn't gotten too far with their foreplay so he decided to make this quick. "Garland told you," Akane muttered, closing the door behind him as Takao sat down in the chair that sat at her desk. "Yes, he did," he informed, snapping out of his hentai thoughts, "but not everything. Why didn't you tell me?"

"There wasn't any time," she replied, sitting next to Brooklyn on the bed, "and you were busy with practice. I didn't want to tell you but Garland said you needed to know. You have too much on your mind with the upcoming match that I didn't want to add even more stress. I knew that you might even quit the team if you found out." "And you would be right," Takao fumed, "there is no way that I will blade against Kai for Boris. He will have to send someone else out instead."

Akane paled by that threat as she jumped up suddenly. "Takao, you have to blade in the tie-breaker match," she insisted as her eyes were wide, "do you realize what will happen if you don't?" "I think it is time that I swallow my pride and support my friends," Takao replied, "since Boris doesn't have faith in my abilities. Why are you still loyal to him after this?" Akane didn't answer but Brooklyn did.

"We don't have a choice but to support BEGA," he said, softly. "Why is that?" Takao demanded, looking between the two. "We signed a contract," Akane stated, softly, "we literally belong to the organization and him. If we attempt a coup, we will be kicked out of beyblading forever. It's a contract that can't be broken unless he agrees to it and if you think Kai winning the match will solve anything it won't. BEGA will still remain an entity even with the return of the BBA. Boris isn't going to give up everything he has worked hard for over a bet and the fan base will still be split between those who support the BBA and BEGA."

Takao's mouth dropped open from that news. "He didn't make me sign such an agreement," he remarked. "He knew that if he mentioned it," Akane said, simply, "that you wouldn't join BEGA and he needed you to legitimize his business venture. You could leave but the rest of us are stuck here." "So no matter if I win or lose," Takao murmured, "we still come out the losers." "If you win," Akane suggested, "then you would have more of a say over matters since he would owe you for saving his company. If you lose, then I don't even want to think about the consequences."

She shuddered violently as did Brooklyn. "Garland didn't mention this," Takao noted with interest. "I know that Ming Ming, Moses and Mystel signed the contract," Akane informed, "along with Brooklyn and myself. That is why we are loyal to him. He promised us so much and we were attracted to the fame and fortune. We saw the real Boris Balkov in his office earlier but he has never shown his true face before. He had always treated us well and has never raised his voice to any of us before this whole tournament started."

Takao thought about the situation for a few moments as Akane and Brooklyn looked uncomfortable by the silence and his presence. He decided that he would have a list of demands ready just in case Boris did decide to pull something else. If what Akane said was true, Boris _needed _him. He might could get more out of this situation than he had expected. His eyes briefly turned to Akane to see that she had a hickey on her neck and decided to leave since Brooklyn looked quite uncomfortable as well. He knew when two teens wanted to be alone.

"Well, you have given me much to think about," he remarked, rising from the chair, "I will leave the two of you to your other activities." "Please don't go and confront Boris," Akane pleaded. "Don't worry," he said with a wave of his hand, "I won't and I will blade in the match. _It is just that I have a few demands to make of my own_." He let himself out and as he stood in the hallway, he heard the door lock behind him.

He definitely didn't want to hear what was going to happen next as he strolled away. He decided to go back to the training room to let Dragoon spin for some relaxation and meditation. Garland and Mystel had disappeared by the time he returned as he closed the door and turned off the lights, leaving the room in almost total darkness with the exception of a few emergency lights. He launched Dragoon into the dish as he sat down beside of it and removed his jacket. He crossed his legs and cleared his mind of all thoughts.

Twenty minutes later found Dragoon still spinning in the dish and Takao in the lotus position. He was interrupted from his meditation by Garland. "I was just looking for you," he remarked as Takao opened an eye. "I was just thinking," he stated, rising and stretching his muscles, "and I needed some quiet time alone." "I know that feeling," Garland admitted, "do you think you are ready for the match?"

"Honestly, yes," Takao informed as Dragoon flew into his hand, "I am ready to beat Kai at his own game." He was about to add more when Mystel entered the room. Garland looked at him with concern since he looked like he had been startled by something. "Garland, you will never guess what I just overheard," he stammered as he jumped up and down from nerves, "I was going to find Brooklyn since I found this great spot in the park during my wanderings that I knew he would love and-" "You discovered that he is Akane's room with her," Takao finished as he raised an eyebrow, "and doing things that only the two of them could do together."

"How did you know?" Mystel ask, wide-eyed and pale. "I kind of interrupted them before," he replied with a sheepish grin, "I figured that they would continue on with their activities after I left." "You mean they are-" Garland choked, unable to form a coherent sentence. It was quite funny to see the captain of Team BEGA, speechless and caught totally off-guard. Takao had to smile even more from the look on Garland's face.

"I know that you aren't naive, Garland," Takao added after a few moments. "I didn't think it would happen so soon," he admitted as he shook his head in disbelief, "I guess I owe you and Moses twenty dollars, Mystel." He pulled out his wallet and gave the bill to the blond who had recovered. "You bet on when they would have sex," Takao squeaked, "why didn't you let me in on the betting?" Garland chuckled from his reaction.

"And here we thought you were too naive," Garland added, "but I didn't think that you would want to discuss your sister's sex life." "I am not naive," Takao protested as Mystel bounced out the door, happy with his newfound wealth, "why does everyone think I am a child?" "Because you act like one," Garland noted with an amused smirk, "but seriously, I was just kidding, Takao. We just thought that you wouldn't like to gossip about it. If you are interested, there is another betting pool concerning Mystel and if he will ever ask Rei out. Most of those involved say it will never happen since Mystel is too shy."

"I want a part of that one," Takao remarked with a grin, "what are the odds of Rei asking out Mystel?" "Why?" Garland inquired. "I'll give you a little heads up," Takao continued with a smirk, "I know for a fact that Rei is at least bi. He had a wet dream once when we were sharing a room in New York and he moaned out Kai's name. Then I overheard a discussion between the two when Rei finally admitted his feelings for him but Kai didn't return them."

"That is an interesting piece of information," Garland remarked, "if he doesn't ask him, then maybe we should get involved and set the two of them up." "And get Rei more mad at me?" Takao questioned, "I think not. Just let nature take its course and see what happens. Eventually they might get together like Brooklyn and Akane did." "They shared a past together," Garland reminded, "otherwise Brooklyn would not have been interested."

"I am not so certain of that," Takao mused, "in some weird way, those two are meant to be together. I think Mystel and Rei would look good together as well. Did you sign a contract like the others, Garland?" Garland seemed surprised by the way he had suddenly changed the conversation. "I believe we all did," he admitted as his arms crossed, "It was part of joining BEGA. You are the only one who is free to leave without any consequences."

Takao's eyes narrowed at his remark. _'I am going to change that,' _he thought to himself as the conversation came to a close and they decided to return to practice, _'Boris isn't going to own anyone when I am through with Kai.' _They practiced until after midnight when both boys were near exhaustion. The next few days were going to be interesting as Takao went to the bed for the night but took a pad and ink pen with him as he jotted down his demands. If Boris was going to use him to legitimize his beyblading organization, then he was going to have a bigger say in how everything was run.

AS


	10. Showdown Bt Titans

Disclaimer - If you recoginize anything, then I don't own it.

**Thank you to FlamesOfFury & Minako Mikoto for reviewing.**

(A/N - I apologize beforehand if this chapter is not up to my usual standard. I was going to model this chapter after Takao's final battle w/h Brooklyn but since I have been denied the pleasure of seeing those last 2 episodes, I had to rewatch most of G-Revolution to figure this out. I am still not pleased w/h it but your opinion counts more than mine so tell me what you think.)

**Chapter Nine - Showdown Between Titans**

It was only a hour to the tie-breaking match. Takao was nervous but it wasn't from his confrontation with Kai, it was from the paper that he currently held in his hand. After hearing how his sister and friends had signed away their freedom to become a member of BEGA, he had concocted a plan. A plan that he hoped would solve all of their problems. He was standing outside Boris' door and took a deep calming breathe before he knocked.

"Enter," Boris called from the inside as he walked into the director's office, "ah Takao, are you ready to win and show the world that BEGA is the best organization for beybladers?" Takao's eyes narrowed from that assumption as Boris looked surprised by his change of attitude. "I have learned a few things since our last meeting," he informed as he walked toward the desk, "and let's just say that I am not happy with your manipulations." "What manipulations?" Boris inquired as the smile on his face faded into a frown. "I'm talking about the contract that the other bladers had to sign when they joined," Takao added, "let's just say that your secret is out. You _need _me if you want BEGA to stay legitimate and I have a few demands if you wish for me to battle in the match today."

He set the paper in front of the chairman, who looked over it with curiosity. "My first demand is that all contracts be null and void," he stated in an icy voice, "every member of BEGA has a right to chose who they want to blade for. Otherwise, I will just walk out the door and return to my former team. Leaving you in quite a bind if I don't say because I don't think any of the others are capable of battling Kai and winning." Boris' hand clenched into a fist as his eyes narrowed on the former world champion and a growl escaped his throat but Takao ignored him.

Boris' eyes scanned over the document before him and then sighed. He knew when he was backed into a corner. Takao had seen through him and if he wanted to keep his company, he would have to let the teen have more say in the way it was run. He should have known that sending Ming Ming and Moses to take Kai down had been a big mistake. Takao didn't seem to be in a forgiving mood since he had doubted the ability of one of his bladers.

He glanced over the document and most of the demands he could tolerate except for the last one. "That is only in case I lose," Takao added, "which I doubt will happen. At least, I'm not throwing you out onto the cold Siberia tundra like last time." "And what do your teammates think of these demands?" Boris ask. "They don't know about them," Takao informed with a shrug, "I don't tell them everything."

Boris frowned and gritted his teeth as he took a pen and signed the paper. "I will agree to your demands then," Boris stated, throwing the paper at Takao, "but how I can be reassured that you will keep up your end of the bargin?" "I will do the best that I can," Takao replied, "and you should have more faith in me than you do. I beat both Yuriy and Zeo when they were both more powerful and Kai is no different. I will try my best and that is the best that I can offer. You should have more faith in those who blade for you."

Takao smirked as he left the room. He heard something hit the door after he had closed it and sighed with relief. At least that was over with and had went better than he had expected. He folded the paper and put it in a pocket on the interior of his coat. Now, all he had to do was wait for the match that would decide the future of beyblading.

Tie-Breaking Match - Kai vs. Takao

"This is the battle that you have been waiting for!" DJ Jazzman shouted, "the tie-breaker match between G-Revolutions captain and current world champion, Hiwatari Kai versus the best that BEGA has to offer - the former two time world champion and everyone's favorite dragon master, Kinomiya Takao. This battle has been two years in the making and will settle the future of beyblading forever. Who will win this battle - the loyal BBA bladers or the powerhouse that is BEGA? Only fate knows and she is not telling us, folks."

Takao took a deep breathe and looked across the stadium floor. Kai was looking impassive on G-Revolutions bench as though this match meant nothing. Takao wished he was half as confident as Kai seemed. Everything was riding on this one match and he had to win to ensure that Boris went through with his end of the bargin they had made. The paper that he had signed was in his coat pocket and it gave him some reassurance of the future of his favorite sport.

His teammates were standing behind him including Ming Ming and Moses. None of them were happy with their employer at the moment but they were still members of BEGA. They would not show weakness in public; only loyalty. Takao gripped the handle of his launcher even tighter from nerves. This had been the battle that he had been waiting for but why did he feel so uncertain? He had all ready made the decision that no matter who won, he was going to tell the dual-hair of his feelings for him. If he won however, he doubted that Kai would ever speak or have anything to do with him ever again.

If that happened, Takao was fairly certain that the team or their supporters would probably never blade again. Boris would definitely deny them membership into BEGA but he knew that they would rather retire than join with them. Sometimes, Takao regretted the decision he had made in New York but he had made his choice and there was no changing it. The past was impossible to change and his only hope was to change the future. He had to make it right for everyone.

"Good luck, little brother," Akane called as he turned around to face his teammates and friends. She was standing besides of Brooklyn and they were holding hands. From what he had heard the day before, they now considered themselves a couple. He couldn't have been more happier for the two. They looked great together.

"I know that you will win," Brooklyn stated with a wink. "Do your best," Garland advised, "we will not be disappointed if you try your hardest. You are our teammate and friend. We will stick by you until the end and no matter what the outcome of this match is." The silver-haired teen offered his hand as they both grasp and smiled at one another.

"I hope for you the best," Mystel offered, "after seeing Akane battle Kai, I don't think even I could win against him." "Do it dude," Moses added with a smile and hit him on the back that nearly sent him to the floor. "You can do it, Takao," Ming Ming smiled, "we'll be cheering you onto victory." A funny feeling was inside of his chest as he felt what he had missed for months. The love and support of people who actually cared for him.

They might not have been a team when they had met a few months ago but they were now. It was what he had missed when Rei, Max and Kai had ditched him for their own teams. They had said they wanted a chance to blade but Takao knew there was more to it than that. They didn't think he had the skill to repeat a third consequetive year. They had doubted his ability when they should have known that he would never let a teammate down.

He looked directly at his one-time teammate, friend, crush but now adversary. Their eyes locked with one another but Kai did not reveal any emotion. He just glared at Takao, making him swallow nervously. He had to put all of his emotions aside. His sister and teammates were depending on him. He had his own reasons for winning and they were just as important as Kai's.

"Will the two bladers please step forward?" DJ called as Takao took a deep breathe and walked up to the platform before him. Kai did the same thing on the opposite side. "The tension in this stadium is almost unbearable," AJ stated from the booth, "I am glad that I am not in Takao or Kai's shoes. Can you imagine the pressure on both of these young bladers' shoulders?" "Yes, I can," Brad added, "since they both support a different organization and are determined to win. Some are saying that this is the final match that we should have saw at the world championships."

"These two bladers have been rivals since they met at the regionals two years ago," AJ continued, "they were still competitors with each other even though they were on the same team. This is going to be one intense match." _'You don't even know the half of it,' _Takao thought as he took Dragoon from his pocket, "_I don't like this, Dragoon but we need to win. I need for you to give me everything that you have and more.' _The bit chip lit up in response as Takao smiled and placed him in the launcher.

"Now let's see what kind of stadium is worthy of such a battle," DJ shouted as the floor opened up and the beystadium was revealled, "this one is called the Atlantis stadium. It is a rendition of the famous city that sunk beneath the ocean over 2,000 years ago. The streets are narrow and if your blade leaves the fabled island, it will sink into the deep waters of the ocean surrounding it. This is one wicked stadium and will ask for absolute control and mastery over one's blade. Can these two masters handle it? We shall soon see."

Takao looked over the stadium and smiled. It was perfect for this grudge match as he briefly looked up to where Boris was sitting. The director didn't look at all happy but Takao was pleased by the stadium. He glared as Takao shook it off. He wasn't intimidated in the least by Boris and this battle in his opinion didn't concern him. It was totally between he and Kai.

"This is the battle that we have been waiting for!" DJ shouted, "Kai versus Takao for the future of beyblading. Are you boys ready?" Both of them nodded as they held up their launchers. "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" the three shouted together as both blades were launched into the dish. It was proving to be an intense match from the start as the two blades made a beeline for each other. Takao knew that Kai wasn't holding back or was he.

The blades slammed into one and bounced back, hitting off the sides of the buildings. The slam sent powerful shockwaves throughout the entire stadium, making everyone flinch. Both he and Kai struggled to keep their balance on their respective platforms. It proved to be quite a challenge for him since he wasn't use to such power. G-Revolutions had definitely earned his respect if they were capable of controlling such power that the MS blades held.

"That hurt," he heard Akane complain from the bench or where she was standing near the dish. Kai didn't give him any time to recover as Dranzer bounced off the ground and then slammed into Dragoon. Another intense shockwave threatened to push him off his platform as he heard his teammates voice their concern. "That was incredible!" DJ Jazzman interrupted, "how long can these two keep this up?" "For as long as I have too," Kai growled, "I can't let you win, Takao. Dranzer attack!"

"Dragoon!" Takao shouted as the blades collided and were sawing away at one another. The power from the two repelled each other after a mere moment sending both blades flying toward their owners and the water surrounding the island. Both knew that if their blades ended up in the drink then the game was over. Well, Takao knew that it was possible for him to survive it since he could use one of his wind attacks and create a typhoon or so he hoped. He wasn't certain as Dragoon hit the platform, cracked the concrete but reflected back onto dry land.

Dranzer survived in a similar manner as Takao sighed with relief. There wasn't much fun winning in that manner. He wanted to use his power to show Kai who was stronger. He had a vendetta to settle and he was going to get it. It seemed that Kai had learned a few new moves from his teammates, who were standing close to the dish cheering him on to victory.

"You can do it, Kai!" Hillary cheered, "show them why you are the world champion!" "Go Kai!" shouted Daichi, "you are the greatest!" That made Takao grit his teeth together. "Takao, use the dish to your advantage!" Mystel yelled from behind him. "You are stronger than he is!" Akane added, "you can do it, little brother!"

"Is that the best that you got, Kai?" Takao teased after Dranzer slammed Dragoon again and this time created a crater in the center of the dish, "that didn't even slow Dragoon down." "Not by a long shot," Kai replied, "You've changed and it is not for the better." "I haven't changed, Kai," Takao defended with a glare, "I just joined a new team." "A team backed by Balkov," Kai added with his own snarl, "you are his puppet." "You don't understand, do you?" Takao snapped, making Dragoon dodge Dranzer as she went straight into a building, "you never pay attention to those around you or do you care about their feelings." "What do you mean by that?" Kai questioned as their blades stopped attacking as a stand off was taking place in and out of the dish.

"Why do you think it hurt me so much when you left!" Takao shouted with fury, "do you have any idea, Kai! Do you even care to know why!" Their blades clashed again with such force that it made everyone cring in even more pain. The odd sensation had felt good at first but now it stung or made your fillings hurt. Everyone was beginning to wonder how much they could withstand it since they were closest to the dish.

Boris, who was sitting in his chair watched the battle below him with interest. He hadn't thought that it would be so intense. Takao was fighting like a teen possessed and now he was beginning to understand why he had willingly joined BEGA. It was easy to figure out when you saw the way he looked at Kai. With Rei and Max, he didn't hold the same malice for them leaving but when he looked at Kai, his eyes were filled with betrayal and hurt. He now understood everything.

"You betrayed us to Balkov!" Kai yelled back, "you knew of his past but yet you joined him. That is when you lost all respect in my eyes." "You just don't get it, do you!" Akane shouted from the bench where she and the other BEGA bladers were either sitting or standing, "are you that blind in matters of the heart, Hiwatari?" Kai looked between the two siblings with confusion. Sure, he was a little thick-headed but what were the two hinting at?

He decided to take a closer look into Takao's eyes. They were burning with a fury that he had never seen. They showed betrayal from when everyone had left for their own teams but there was something else when he looked directly at him. Takao's eyes were full of tears when he even glanced at his face. They showed a pain that he had never seen; even when he had left.

He looked back at Takao as Dragoon and Dranzer collided again as wind and fire fought it out in a swirl of red and white. _'Is it possible?' _Kai thought with surprise, _'does he feel the same way about me that I feel about him?' _Kai had been in denial about his own feelings since the start of the world championship tournament several months ago. He had thought leaving Takao would make the feelings go away. There was no trying to deny that he felt something for the bluenette but he didn't think the feelings had been mutual.

Leaving BBA Revolution had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. Takao had depended on him and he had left without a word to his friend. He had just walked away, leaving it to Hitoshi to break the news to Takao. It had been cowardly yes, there was no denying that and now he was paying the price for it. Takao saw Kai's mouth open a little as though he wanted to say something but couldn't find the exact words.

"Now do you understand, Kai?" Takao ask with sincerity as he blinked back tears, "now do you see why it hurt me so much?" "Takao," Kai said, softly as they just stared at one another. "He understands," Akane shrieked to no one in particular as she did a happy dance that made the other BEGA bladers sweatdrop. "But now the question is," Brooklyn added, ignoring his girlfriend, "what the two do about it and how it affects their battle?" "I wonder what is going through Kai's head," Akane pondered as Garland shrugged.

"I guess we will have to see it play out in the dish," Garland added with a smirk. Their attention turned back to the beydish were the two bladers were staring at one another. "Takao likes Kai," they heard Kenny mumble with shock from G-Revolution's side, "why didn't I ever notice?" "I could have told you that," both Max and Rei said together as laughter followed, "It was obvious to everyone." "Even I knew," Hitoshi added with a slight smile.

"Your feelings for me do not change anything, Takao," Kai informed as his cold mask was firmly back on his face, "we have a dispute to settle and I can't let my personal feelings get involved." "I understand, Kai," Takao replied with a smile, "let's settle this like true bladers. Dragoon, Solar Wind Destroyer!" "Dranzer, Spiral Fireball!" Kai ordered as the blades sped toward one another again and started to glow. Dranzer glowed a reddish-gold while Dragoon began to glow a bluish-silver.

The bit beasts inside then emerged in their elemental forms. Dragoon's roar shook the stadium while Dranzer's loud shriek threatened to burst people's eardrums. They swirled together in a mixture of colour as the blades collided and sawed away at the other. The light was so bright from the dish that it blinded everyone including their teammates, who couldn't see what was happening. It felt like the whole building was being shook to its very foundation as the shockwaves intensified.

The energy coming out of the dish was so intense that it probably could power a small city. "What you are witnessing, folks," DJ yelled over the noise, "is probably the best beybattle in history. What an intense match and it doesn't appear to be stopping anything soon!" "TAKAO!" six voices shouted as they tried to move toward the dish but the force eminenting from it was stopping them. "KAI!" was the yell on the other side as the crowd stood or sat in shock to watch what was happening on the stadium floor.

Fortunately for their teammates, the light faded as both blades repelled the other. Both blades bounced back a few feet from the impact as the two boys were breathing heavily from their previous attack. "I have never seen such a battle before," Moses remarked as they watched Takao sway a bit but stay on his feet, "it is truly a battle between two titans." Kai wasn't faring much better on his platform either. They appeared to be running out of energy and if that was true, the entire battle would be decided by who could stay on their feet the longest.

Kai recovered first sending Dranzer barrelling at what appeared to be a defenseless Dragoon. At the last possible moment, Takao held up his hands and blocked Dranzer but it did not prepare him for the slam. It sent him back a few feet and nearly taking a tumble down the steps of the platform. "Takao!" Akane yelled as he regained his footing, turned back for a brief moment to give her a grin that he was all right. "I'm still spinning!" Takao yelled to Kai. "Not for long!" Kai called as the two sent their blades careening back at one another putting their last reserves of energy into a final attack.

"Dragoon, attack!" Takao yelled. "Finish this, Dranzer!" Kai shouted. Both blades shot forward once again. Takao's glowing a whitish-silver while Kai was glowing with a bluish fire. "Here we go again," Mystel remarked with wide eyes as he dove under the bench, "how can they continue to battle like this?" The blades struck sending out the most incredible and intense wave of energy that no blader in the stadium had ever seen or felt. The bit beasts fought one another in the air above them, trying to bring down the other.

"They are going to bring the roof down upon us," Garland yelled, trying to shield his eyes. Neither Takao or Kai were willing to give up as the blades continued to hammer away. Everyone could only watch as the swirl of fire and wind went higher. The bit beasts' attacks tore through the roof, sending debris down upon everyone. On BEGA's side, Akane, Brooklyn and Garland dove under the benches for protection while Moses shielded Ming Ming.

G-Revolution reacted in a similar matter with only Hitoshi and Yuriy remaining in their respective places. The battle was so intense that everyone could probably see the two god beasts fight in the sky above the city. It was an incredible sight to witness and one that few predicted would happen. When the light finally began to fade, everyone came out of their hiding places to see what had happened to Takao and Kai. A groan alerted BEGA to Takao, who had been completely thrown off the platform. Kai hadn't fared that well either since he was laying on the floor on the opposite side.

"TAKAO!" Akane shouted, running to him, "are you all right?" He groaned as his eyes opened slightly and he got back to his feet, picking up his hat from where it had fell off. She might have gotten him to change his clothes but he refused to give up his lucky hat. Kai was slow getting back on his feet as well with the help of Hiromi. "Is it over?" DJ ask, "yes, it is. Both blades have exited the stadium and have stopped spinning. This match ends in a tie!"

"According to BEGA rules that also applied to the BBA," AJ stated from the booth, "when both blades stop spinning, the match ends in a draw which means we have to start all over again." "Hokey Dinah," Brad added, "can the building withstand another match like that?" "I'm all right, Akane," Takao reassured, "I appreciate your concern but there is something that I have to do." He walked forward and picked up Dragoon, who had substained quite a bit of damage from his last attack. Kai did the same on the other side of the dish.

They both then exchanged a meaningful look with one another and nodded. "I guess you boys need to grab your launchers," DJ shouted, "and prepare to start this match again." "I refuse," Takao stated, his voice clear and carrying throughout the now quiet stadium, "I will not battle Kai again. Our match ended in a draw and I say we leave it at that. Let the adults decide what to do about this dispute on their own without using us as pawns in their game of chess."

"What?" DJ, AJ and Brad shouted together along with Boris since he was furious that they had damaged his building. "I agree with Takao," Kai added as everyone gasp collectively, "I shall not continue with this battle. I consider the dispute between us settled." "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Boris yelled from his seat, "Kinomiya, you are to win this for BEGA!" "Sorry, sir," Takao replied with a wave of his hand, "all of you can determine what to do now. It is out of my hands."

Takao walked toward the tunnel and didn't look back at anyone. Boris continued to scream from his seat as Kai followed Takao's lead on the other side of the stadium. His scarf flowing behind him as his teammates just watched. "Brooklyn will battle then!" Boris ordered, "G-Revolutions pick your next blader!" The remaining members of G-Revolution watched as the BEGA bladers conversed among themselves for a brief moment and then looked up at Boris.

"If you want someone to battle, sir," Garland replied, calmly, "then do it yourself. None of us will blade for you. We consider this tournament over!" The six members of the BEGA team followed Takao down the tunnel and ignored Boris' ranting. G-Revolutions marveled at their integrity and then followed Kai, leaving the fans in complete and utter shock over what they had just witnessed. All of their bladers had just abandoned the adults to their own problems. What had they done?

AS

R & R


	11. Tying Up Loose Ends

Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I don't own it.

**Thank you to Minako Mikoto, bottlecaps, Horsegirl, kicking-S-ass & FlamesOfFury for reviewing. **

**(A/N - I would like to thank all of you who read & reviewed this story. I am happy that you enjoyed it & I appreciated your support. It helped me finish my first story. So here is the last chapter of The Dragon Master. I am a big sucker for happy endings so I changed it from the original.)**

**Chapter 10 - Tying Up Loose Ends**

It was the day after the final tie-breaking match of the Justice Five tournament. The result of the battle had been a surprise to everyone. Kinomiya Takao and Hiwatari Kai had tied! When they had been told to pick up their blades for another rematch, the two teens had refused. Both of them had smiled at the other, picked up their respective blades and had walked away.

When Boris had started shouting, the BEGA team had followed Takao back to the locker room as had G-Revolutions; considering the dispute over. The media claimed that the tie had not solved anything but they were wrong. That very evening found Takao in a conference room with Boris and the board of directors, hammering out a deal that everyone would benefit from. Boris had been furious to say the least but all the contracts that the bladers had signed had been destroyed and they were free to leave BEGA if they so wished it. He had been surprised to see that his teammates had planned to stay with Boris even after everything he had done or said to them.

Moses felt that he owed it to Boris for paying for his little sister's operation. Ming Ming felt that she owed him something as well for giving her the fame and wealth that he had. Takao wondered what everyone would think about the deal that the board of directors, Boris and Mr. Dickerson had worked out. Takao thought it had merit but knew that no matter what the outcome that his friends would never come over to the powerhouse that was BEGA but Boris wasn't totally in charge anymore and that was a relief. He had someone watching over him now and if he stepped outside the boundaries of his office, he would be booted out of his own company. It was that simple.

Takao sighed with relief since everything should work out. Now, he just had to deal with one last matter and this was going to be hard. The afternoon was chilly since fall was approaching as he walked down the street with his hands jammed in his coat pockets. The neighborhood was still the same as he walked to the dojo that he had once called home. He had been told that all of the BBA bladers would be celebrating at the Kinomiya residence by Mr. Dickerson and that was why he had come.

He cursed Akane for ditching him in favor of Brooklyn for the afternoon but knew this was something he had to do himself. She only to make amends with Grandpa Ryu and Hitoshi. She was not friends with any of the other bladers like he had been. Besides, the former chairman was suppose to make the announcement to the other bladers of the agreement that BEGA and the BBA had come too. Takao wanted to tell them of his decision in person instead of letting Mr. Dickerson do it for him so that is why he had come.

He could hear the celebration from outside the walls and hesitated as he stood at the gate. He said a prayer to the gods before he pushed it open to see the garden full of bladers talking to one another. There were several adults standing together that included Max's parents, his grandfather, Mr. Dickerson and Hitoshi. Everyone must have heard the door open and it went completely still. Everyone was staring at him as he shut the gate behind him and took another deep breath.

"Takao, I'm glad that you could come," Mr. Dickerson greeted with a cheery smile. "I wouldn't refuse a request by you, sir," he replied with a slight smile. "I was hoping that your teammates would join us," the chairman stated with a smile, "they were welcome to attend." "They had their own plans for the day," Takao informed with a shrug, "and for some odd reason couldn't change them." "Takao, do you think so little of us?" Garland's voice remarked with amusement as he turned around to see his six teammates entering the compound carrying bags and trays of various types of food.

"We couldn't come emptyhanded," Akane added with a smile, "we wanted to surprise you." "Well, you succeeded," Takao remarked and sighed with relief for the support as Hitoshi and grandpa stepped forward to offer help. "So you are my granddaughter's boyfriend," Grandpa Ryu remarked, glaring intently at Brooklyn, who blushed and nodded, "You had better take good care of my lotus blossom or _else_." "Grandpa," Akane protested as Takao broke into a smile and Brooklyn took safety behind her after seeing his shinai leaning against a post. Akane must have told him of his fondness for the bamboo sword.

The other bladers were watching the scene with interest but were unnaturally quiet. It was Max, who decided to break the tension. "I'm glad that you could come, Takao," he stated with an uneasy smile, "now that this is over, can we be friends again?" "Certainly," Takao replied with a grin as he rubbed the bridge of his nose before he was glomped by the perky blond, "I have missed your company." "As have I," Max added with a laugh, "It hasn't been the same without your appetite and loud opinions."

Takao looked around the garden but didn't see the face that he was searching for. In fact both Kai and Yuriy were missing from the crowd. He saw Bryan and Sergei leaning against the wall but their two teammates were missing. "You owe me a rematch, Takao!" Daichi barked, tackling him, "and I want it right now!" "Daichi," Takao growled as Hiromi pried the younger boy off of his back and chastised him for his behavior.

Takao glanced around to see Mystel talking to Rei and the other members of the White Tigers while Kyoujyu was drooling over Ming Ming. Rick was conversing with Moses while Garland, Akane and Brooklyn were sitting on the porch talking to Hitoshi. Hitoshi didn't seem to like the way that Brooklyn and Akane were acting especially since she was sitting in his lap and using his chest as a pillow. Takao wondered how his older brother would react when he found out about the other activities they did together. He bet that Hito would be the one chasing Brooklyn around the dojo with the shinai instead of grandpa.

"Kai is out back, homme," Grandpa Ryu stated as he turned around suddenly to see him standing directly behind him, "that is who you are looking for, right little dude?" "How did you know?" Takao questioned, looking his elder straight in the eye. "It is very obvious," he said with an all-knowing smile, "besides, I watched the match and heard your confessions. Sometimes you have to follow your heart no matter where or who it leads you too. You did the right thing at the end of your match. I am proud to call you my grandson."

He patted Takao on the shoulder before he strolled off to speak with Akane. Takao was trying to figure out how to sneak away when he saw the perfect opportunity to settle two matters at once. Mystel was talking adamantly to Rei and only mere inches away from the Neko-jin. He remembered the bet they had at BEGA HQ and knew it would be the perfect distraction. He just hoped that Mystel or Rei didn't kill him for what he was about to do.

He made it look like he was going over to Rei to apologize or make amends but tripped on a rock on purpose. When he started to fall, he bumped into Mystel and pushed the younger boy right into Rei. What happened next had everyone looking at two bladers. Mystel was pushed right into Rei as their lips made contact and they exchanged a kiss. He heard a choking sound as he looked toward the porch to see Garland trying to swallow the punch that he had been drinking.

Takao winked at his team captain and got to his feet quickly. Mystel and Rei still hadn't broke apart and their kiss seemed to be deepening. Everyone was staring wide-eyed at the two except for the members of the BEGA team, who were all smiling. When air became an issue, Mystel and Rei finally broke apart to find everyone staring at the two of them in shock or wonder. No one seemed to know what to say.

Rei muttered something in Chinese but Mystel blushed a deep shade of red. "I told you!" Brooklyn shouted happily to Garland, who suddenly looked miffed. Takao had a feeling that Garland had just lost more money on this bet as well. "That was unexpected," Lei remarked with surprise, "I didn't know that you had a crush on Mystel, Rei." "No one was suppose to know," Rei growled as his eyes dilated, "Takao!"

"Sorry, dude," Takao replied with a smirk, "but I have somewhere else I need to be!" He sprinted away from the garden just as Rei lunged for him. Takao didn't even look back but could hear the laughter of the other bladers. Everyone was taking their obvious coupling rather well and he couldn't hold back the grin. He would deal with the Neko-jin later. He had a Russian to face now.

Takao walked around the small wooded area and found Kai and Yuriy sitting near an old beydish that he had used as a small child. The two seemed to be having a serious discussion since they were speaking in Russian. Takao understood a few of the words since he had been with Balkov for the past few months and he often cursed or yelled in the language when he got mad. When Takao stepped on a small twig that snapped from his weight, their conversation came to an abrupt halt and the two stared at him. Takao was nervous and uncertain of what to say to his former teammate.

Sure, they knew their feelings were mutual but he was uncertain of how to bring the subject up. Yuriy must have knew what he wanted from Kai as he stood up. "If you need me," Yuriy spoke in English, "I'll be in the garden with the others. I don't know why we are celebrating since Boris wasn't brought down completely." Yuriy nodded at Takao as he past as the bluenette returned the friendly gesture. He had always suspected that Yuriy and Kai were close and he needed to stay on his good side in case anything happened between them.

Takao sat down on a tree stump that was across from Kai as the two stared at each other. "I thought for certain that you would be celebrating with the others," Kai remarked, darkly. "I take it that Mr. Dickerson told you about the deal that was made," Takao added as Kai nodded in reply, "it was for the best, Kai. I'm not fond of Boris but he does have some great ideas when it comes to beyblading. I think everyone should have a choice of which organization to join if they want to beyblade. Some see it as a child's game and that is fine but those of us who see its potential to be a professional sport should have the option of going pro. I think his plan is for the best and if Boris oversteps his bounds, he will be thrown out of BEGA for good."

"I still don't like it," Kai admitted as his arms crossed, "I don't trust him. He is bound to manipulate the situation to his advantage." "And that is why someone is going to be watching him," Takao informed with a smile, "between myself, Hitoshi and the other top bladers, Boris will never do anything dirty or underhanded again." "So you are staying with BEGA?" Kai ask but it was more of a statement than a question as Takao nodded, "Mr. Dickerson said that you would." "I made a deal with Boris before our match," Takao informed, "I can't go back on it. Besides, your invitation to join BEGA is still open. I would gladly welcome you in with open arms."

Kai took a deep breath and hmphed in reply. They sat in silence for a few minutes but could hear the laughter and merriment from the dojo. "Did Rei finally admit his feelings for Mystel?" Kai ask, catching Takao completely off-guard. "What?" Takao choked out as the dual-haired boy actually smiled. "I was just wondering what all of the noise was about before," Kai admitted with a shrug, "and if it had anything to do with the two of them."

"I kind of pushed their relationship along," Takao replied with a grin, "I found out about Mystel's crush before our match. I actually placed a bet on it and I believe several of my teammates owe me some cash. I'm going to collect on it when I go back." "Is it enough to pay for dinner for the two of us?" Kai ask as Takao's mouth dropped open. Did he just get ask out in a weird round-a-bout sort of way in which he would have to pay?

"Why?" Takao questioned, "Is this an invitation to dinner?" "Maybe," Kai informed with a slight smirk, "we have to start somewhere. Takao, about before-" "You don't have to apologize, Kai," Takao stated, cutting him off, "you were right. I did betray you to Balkov when I let my anger get the better of me. I was a big jerk and I am not ashamed to admit it."

"When I said that you had changed," Kai continued, motioning for him not to speak but to hear him out, "You did change but I think it was for the better. You are more mature now and you dress better. I like this new Takao." "Well, you have to thank Akane for the wardrobe change," Takao informed, "she is the one who convinced me to wear black. I wasn't giving up my lucky hat however."

"Your sister has good taste," Kai noted as they both rose, "did she convince you to buy any leather pants?" "She tried to convince me to get my ear pierced," Takao explained, "but I refused. I knew grandpa wouldn't approve of it. Then she remarked something about a belly button piercing but after Brooklyn told me how she screamed getting hers done that made me definitely say no. I don't know why she was so determined to change me when she hasn't tried it with Brooklyn yet."

As he was babbling, Takao failed to notice that Kai had moved closer to him. When he stopped to take a breath, he looked up into a pair of crimson eyes as their noses practically touched. "Kai?" he questioned and before he could say another word, his soft lips were on his own. Takao revelled in the sensation as the kiss deepened and he could feel Kai's tongue asking for permission to enter. He parted his lips in reply as he wrapped his arms around his neck and grabbed his soft hair into his fists.

Their tongues duelled for dominance and if Kai thought he was going to be the seme of this relationship, he was wrong. Takao wasn't giving in to anyone without a fight and that included Kai. They both mapped out the interior of the other's mouth and enjoyed the taste. When air became an issue, they both pulled apart suddenly and gasped for breath. They both leaned forward as their foreheads touched and their eyes locked on the other.

"That was wonderful," Takao whispered as Kai chuckled slightly and wrapped his arms around him. Takao felt at ease and peace in Kai's strong arms. "I think this is the start of something special," Kai whispered, his voice deeper and more seductive than usual. "I hope it is," Takao replied with a chuckle, "I'm looking forward to exploring more of you." They leaned in to kiss again as their lips brushed against the other but their moment was interrupted by a certain nosy older sister.

"SEE!" Akane shrieked as they turned to see her standing near them and watching with wide eyes, "I told you they were kissing and none of you believed me!" Like most girls, she couldn't resist watching two gorgeous boys kiss and it didn't matter that one of them was her younger brother. "Akane, who are you talking too?" Takao ask as she looked around suddenly to see that her friends had abandoned her. "Well, I-" she began as she blushed with embarrassment, "where the hell did everyone go?" She put her hands on her hips as Takao and Kai exchanged a look and understood without having to say a word to the other. Akane ranted for a few minutes before she saw the predatory look in Takao's eyes.

"I think I'll head back to the dojo," she stuttered as she pointed back to the house, "I'm certain that Brooklyn is waiting for me." "You do not think that I'm going to allow you to get by with ruining our moment," Takao smirked, "then go back and gossip to the others do you?" "I-" she replied, her eyes wide as she took off at a sprint to the house, "BROOKLYN! HITOSHI! GRANDPA! ANYBODY HELP ME!" "I'll meet you there, love," Takao said with a quick peck on the lips as he took off after her, leaving Kai wondering what had just happened. "What am I getting into with this family?" he murmured as he laughed to himself and followed the screaming pair of siblings back to the house.

The End!

**(A/N 2 - Well, there it is! The end to my very first story. I hope you liked it and that the kiss is satisfactory. I'm not use to writing romance especially b/t 2 boys. I might write a sequel eventually but for now read my other story Chibi Chaos! You might like it.)**

Thanks again!

Astera Snape


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